St. John’s outreach workers are confronting a visible sign of a mounting housing crisis: more people sleeping in tents rather than seeking shelter. Front-line staff say the pattern reflects not only a shortage of housing but also gaps in supports that make shelters feel unsafe or inaccessible to some.
Outreach work intensifies as encampments grow
Christine Byrne, a housing outreach co-ordinator with more than 20 years on the job, says the role has grown busier as tent sites become a more common response for people with nowhere else to stay.
“With the lack of housing right now in our community, they tend to slip through the cracks, basically, and they end up in tents,”
Byrne said people who shelter outdoors often do so because they feel safer in the woods or at informal sites than inside a congregate shelter. Outreach teams try to build trust first — offering snacks, warmth and practical information — then connect people with services when they are ready.
Numbers point to a deepening problem
Data compiled by End Homelessness St. John’s (EHSJ) indicate there were 542 people experiencing homelessness in the city on the last day of September. Nearly half of that group was recorded as experiencing chronic or long-term homelessness that month.
| Measure | Figure (as of Sept. 30) |
|---|---|
| People experiencing homelessness | 542 |
| Active tent sites (as of Oct. 21) | 15 |
Byrne reported there were 15 active tent sites known to outreach teams as of Oct. 21. These pockets of outdoor shelter are becoming a more regular feature of the city’s landscape.
Support barriers push people outdoors
Outreach workers and partners say the reason many people opt for tents is complex. Shortages in affordable housing and shelter capacity are core issues, but perceptions of safety, restrictions in some shelter settings, and the availability of supports also shape decisions.
Nicole Boggan, a social worker quoted in the reporting, called for social supports that keep pace with rising costs. Workers on the ground say that when supports are inadequate, people who are marginally housed can quickly fall into homelessness and, in turn, become tent-bound.
- Outreach teams focus on relationship-building and harm-reduction approaches.
- Many people sleeping in tents decline shelter offers initially, citing safety or privacy concerns.
- Chronic homelessness accounts for nearly half of the total count in St. John’s.
Practical pressures for communities and workers
For outreach staff, the change in where people sleep alters the nature of interventions. Teams must travel to encampments, respond to weather risks and coordinate with health and shelter services under more challenging circumstances. That intensifies workloads and requires additional resources.
Residents and community groups who engage with outreach workers say they want solutions that prioritise stable housing and wraparound supports, rather than short-term fixes. The data from EHSJ underscores that without more affordable units and tailored supports, tent encampments will likely remain an ongoing concern.
What this means for St. John’s
The rise in tent sites signals a failure of the housing system to meet current need. It also highlights the importance of low-barrier services and harm-reduction approaches that respect people’s choices while reducing health and safety risks. Outreach workers urge policymakers and funders to consider investments that expand shelter capacity, bolster rental supports and increase access to community-based services.
As the weather turns, outreach teams face the urgent task of keeping people safe while advocating for longer-term solutions that give households stability and dignity.
Amelia Hart is a correspondent covering Newfoundland and Labrador for ZTL.
