Charitable #: 108027590RR0001
Shelter Services
Our SNUGS are sleeping areas with 4.5 feet high walls and 1.5 feet of plexiglas attached to the walls. Better rest, more dignified, easier to keep clean, less tension.
At Shelter Nova Scotia, we believe in a client centered approach. This means we meet people where they're at, working with them in a non-judgmental environment, while promoting compassion and dignity. We own and operate two emergency shelters, providing beds to 47 individuals each night. All our services are based on Harm Reduction and Housing First principles.
A Harm Reduction framework enables us to work with people who may experience multiple barriers to accessing services. Such barriers may include mental illness, addiction or concurrent disorders.
Housing First provides hope and change by transitioning from homelessness into a stable home, a shift in perspective can result. They're no longer in day-to-day survival mode, people start to envision a different future.
COVID-19 has definitely shifted the way we provide care. As we all know, the best protection against COVID is a home. Until then, we have our "SNUGS." In 2020, we were able to secure funding and complete renovations at four of our facilities, creating safe, private spaces for our guests to sleep.
Interested in supporting us?
Although our volunteer programs are currently closed,
we welcome all monetary donations.
Barry House - est. 2001
Barry House is a 17-bed emergency shelter serving individuals who identify as female and gender diverse. Guests are 16 years of age and older. They could be people living with mental health concerns, disabilities, unemployment or under-employment, struggling with substance misuse, post traumatic stress, abandonment, rejection and poverty.
For those who stay with us we provide three meals a day, phone and laundry, personal care & comfort items, and assistance in securing independent housing. We collaborate with onsite support from Halifax Regional Police, Mobile Outreach Street Health (MOSH), and the Department of Community Services Income Assistance Worker, as well as liaise with many support programs that serve our guests.
Barry House Statistics collected in 2022:
• Provided a night’s rest for 131 people
• Average age of guests: 26-54
• Average length of stay: 29 days
• Some guests staying at Barry House have a history of being in various types of child protective care during their childhood and youth.
Metro Turning Point - est. 1973
Metro Turning Point is a harm reduction, 30-bed emergency shelter for individuals who identify as male and gender diverse. For those who stay with us, we provide a locker, 2-3 meals daily, access to a refrigerator, phone and laundry, personal care & comfort items, and assistance in securing independent housing. We collaborate with onsite support from Mobile Outreach Street Health (MOSH), Addiction Prevention and Treatment Services (APTS) Outreach Workers, Community Mental Health Nurse (NS Health Authority, Central Zone), the Department of Community Services Income Assistance Workers, Dalhousie Legal Aid and Phoenix Youth Programs, Halifax Regional Police, and the North End Community Health Centre.
Metro Turning Point Statistics collected in 2022:
• Provided a night’s rest for 168 people
• Average age of guests: 26-54
• Average length of stay: 48 days
• Some guests staying at Metro Turning Point have a history of being
in various types of child protective care during their childhood
and youth.