N.S. Court of Appeal Says Province Can’t Deny People in Tents Enhanced Income Support
The court said tent dwellers who otherwise qualify cannot be denied higher assistance, overturning a prior ruling in Bradley Lowe’s case.
- On Wednesday, The Appeal Court ruled that tents legally count as accommodation, barring Nova Scotia from denying enhanced income assistance to eligible applicants. The decision overturns a previous ruling that rejected Bradley Lowe's claim for support.
- Bradley Lowe qualified for $380 monthly in 2023 but was denied the enhanced $974 rate because he lived in a tent. Although Lowe died in December 2023, his family and The Elizabeth Fry Society continued the legal challenge.
- The Elizabeth Fry Society intervened, arguing women in tents face heightened risks of physical and sexual violence. Executive Director Emma Halpern praised the court for rejecting the province's argument that higher payments would incentivize tent living over shelters.
- While the ruling does not automatically grant assistance to every tent dweller, applicants qualifying by disability or age cannot be denied support. Calderhead emphasized that anyone living in a tent should contact caseworkers for reassessment under this precedent.
- Executive Director Emma Halpern hopes the decision will create "ripple effects into other provinces." She described the ruling as "a win for all Canadians" because society is only as healthy as its most vulnerable people.
16 Articles
16 Articles
The Toronto Star
N.S. Court of Appeal says province can’t deny people in tents enhanced income support
HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's Court of Appeal has ruled that tents legally count as accommodations and the province cannot refuse enhanced income support to unhoused people living in them.
Nova Scotia court rules tent qualifies as 'accommodation' for welfare benefits
Subhead:The ruling comes as homelessness continues to increase across Canada under the Liberal government.# A Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has ruled that a homeless man's tent qualifies as "accommodation" under provincial social assistance rules, overturning a government decision that denied him shelter benefits because he was living in a park. The ruling, first reported by Blacklock's Reporter, stems from the case of Bradley Lowe, who was livi…
The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruled on Wednesday that the province could not refuse enhanced income assistance to homeless people living in tents.
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