GOLD WINNER
Out of the Cold Community Association7 Church Street, Dartmouth
website
SILVER WINNER
Halifax Mutual Aidwebsite
BRONZE WINNER
Gamechangers902website
HALL OF FAME
Ecology Action Centre2705 Fern Lane
website
Inducted in 2017
Housing affects each of us in Halifax—and in the last several years, a region-wide housing crisis has led to a ballooning of the HRM’s unhoused population at levels not seen since point-in-time surveys began in 2015. (A point-in-time count on April 7, 2022 revealed 586 people without a “safe, permanent address,” per the city of Halifax.) In the midst of all these challenges, Out of the Cold continues to forge ahead. Since 2007, the non-profit has been working to support the region’s unhoused community—first, by operating a winter shelter, and more recently by providing people with permanent supportive housing. The community association focuses on “low barrier, people-centred support” based in “anti-oppressive and harm-reduction practices.” Volunteers Ashley Anderson and Heather Roach describe it as “more than just a way… to give back,” but also about building “a connection with the clients and staff in a meaningful way.”