For Immediate Release
05 December, 2023
Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) is calling on government to do more than empty gestures to address homeless situation in St. John’s. The call comes after Saltwire News reported that a father of two in Nova Scotia died in a tent by what is believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning from the propane heater that was being used to keep himself warm.
“This man’s death in Nova Scotia should be a wakeup call to the provincial government to act to get people out of the cold and the vulnerable situations they find themselves in,” said Dinn. “The Premier called a reactionary press conference last week to announce a task force and so far we have heard no talk of a centralized out of the cold shelter, creative solutions like modular housing with mental health and housing. Peoples’ lives are at stake. This isn’t the time for meaningless gestures where one province over a homeless person died trying to survive in a tent.”
In November, Dinn attended the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness conference in Halifax. Upon returning, he wrote the Premier proposing solutions that are being employed in other jurisdictions like Erb Street in Waterloo, Ontario. The Premier has yet to respond, acknowledge receipt of the suggestions, or take action to do anything outside of the status quo.
“There is no excuse as to why our province has not taken action. Jurisdictions across the country are bringing in solutions. We don’t have to re-invent the wheel, we need to see what’s happening elsewhere in Canadian provinces and do the same here,” said Dinn. “If another taskforce is the solution to this housing crisis, then let’s get on with it.”
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A full transcript of Dinn’s letter to the Premier can be found here: https://www.nl.ndp.ca/post/dinn-calls-on-province-to-support-city-in-protecting-unhoused-people
For further information, contact Eddy St. Coeur, Director of Communications, NDP Caucus at 729-2137 (o), or eddystcoeur@gov.nl.ca