On eve of Thanksgiving weekend, protesters living in tents want solutions from N.L. government

With much of Newfoundland and Labrador looking ahead to the Thanksgiving long weekend, some protesters who are sleeping in tents just outside the province's legislature are asking what they have to be thankful for.

Penny Mutreyjoined a growing group of people without permanent housing in a protest this week. They've set up their own tent commune in a callon government to address the lack of safe and affordable housing.

"Where else are we supposed to go?" Mutrey told CBC News.

"What should I be thankful for at Thanksgiving? These people that have come together in the little team and do what we've decided to do, to show the politicians that whatever they've done to mess this up it's their responsibility. It's on them, not us."

Mutrey said she has been in and out of homelessness for about a decade. She's a recovering addict who'sliving with asenior couple but that window is closing, she said, because thecouple has decided to downgrade and move into a retirement home.

That means Mutreywill be without a space to live in once again, and time is running out.

"I'm right back into the same street dilemma where I've been for the last umpteen months," she said.

"Who's bringing the hot turkey this Thanksgiving? Where are we all going to sit down and eat together?"

Housing officers have been visiting the encampment daily since it popped up Monday evening.

WATCH | This woman says the nights sleeping in a tent are cold and she's struggling to be thankful ahead of the holiday:

Woman living in tent wonders what she should be thankful for this Thanksgiving

12 months ago

Duration 0:37

Penny Mutrey says its hard not to think about a traditional turkey dinner this year, as she continues to sleep in a tent. She is one of dozens who are camped out in front of Confederation Building to protest a lack of housing.

Mutrey said Newfoundland and Labrador Housing has been great to the group and helped some find shelter space.

But that's not what the end goal is, Mutrey said. The mixed group of protesters is made up of people who are capable of working andstudents who are going to class, she said.

"How many more months do we have to stay in shelters or in tents? How many times are they going to bounce us around? So a majority of us turned down the shelter beds," she said.

"We're not here for shelters today. We're here for permanent housing."

Help from public continues

People have been dropping off items to the protesters throughout the week.

Clothing, blankets, tents, tarps, coffee and hot meals have been a welcomesight, Mutrey said.

Politicians have also been checking in.

NDP Leader Jim Dinn has made multiple visits, including Monday night, when the first tents went up,and again on Friday.

Dinnsaid he was supposed to meet with Social Development Minister Paul Pike on Fridaybut was told Pike is travelling in his district of Burin-Grand Bank without cell reception.

"We've been hearing that people are being moved out of shelters into congregate living. We're not sure if it's to make way for the people who are living in tents, but that's something we need to get confirmed," said Dinn.

"If it is the case, we would have a problem, I would have a problem with moving people around like chess pieces on a board."

Dinn said he was hoping a solution to the tent protest would have been found by now. There needs to be a longer conversation about how to solve the problem as a whole, he said.

"I was hoping to find out what are the plans right now, what has been offered to the people who are living in the tents and what is the time frame," he said.

"The tentersthemselveshave asked us to ask the minister. They want to have a reasonable time frame of when they can expect a solution to housing."

Download ourfree CBC News appto sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.Click here to visit our landing page.