Housing Minister Fred Hutton says help was continuously offered to people living at the tent encampment near Bannerman Park prior to today’s storm.

There was an outburst in the House of Assembly on Thursday as Fred Hutton answered questions about whether government will introduce legislation to declare housing a human right.

One person could be heard yelling “liar” when Hutton stated that he and area MHA John Abbott visited the encampment earlier in the day.

Hutton says they did visit the so-called tent city around 10 a.m., though he doesn’t believe any of the people who were in the public gallery were there at the time.

He says when they arrived nobody was outside, but they did speak with some people in their tents, and everyone was offered a place to go.

Hutton says the Safe Haven shelter, for example, has 30 spaces available, and 14 of those were used overnight.

“Our staff went back twice yesterday to make the offer that they could go indoors. There was no need for anybody to be in a tent last night, or anywhere — not just at the tent encampment, but anywhere across this province,” he said.

“We will find space. If it has to be a hotel, if it has to be a shelter, or whatever is available. Nobody has to stay outside.”

Hutton added staff carried out wellness checks overnight at tent city and no issues were reported to him.