‘Cruel’: Legal community questions N.S. move to exclude tents from higher income assistance

Nova Scotia's legal community is questioning the province's recent decision to exclude individuals living in tents from accessing higher income assistance benefits. Human rights lawyer Vince Calderhead, who had fought for years to secure better income supports for tent-dwellers, saw his position validated by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal in August.

However, two weeks later, the province reversed the decision by altering its criteria for income assistance, effectively nullifying the court ruling. Calderhead argues that this move has forced people back onto a $400 monthly assistance rate, denying them an additional $300 per month they would have received had their tents been recognized as legal accommodations.

Dalhousie Legal Aid worker Mark Culligan supports Calderhead's stance, disagreeing with the notion that people in rental units have higher expenses than those living in tents. The province has defended its decision, stating that the court initially misinterpreted regulations and that the changes provide clearer direction for administering income assistance consistently and transparently.

Calderhead calls the decision "cruel," emphasizing that it fails to treat people in need with respect and dignity.