Nova Scotia court rules that tents meet threshold for welfare shelter costs
The applicant was initially “deemed unhoused” and denied the portion of money designed to help cover costs for low-income tenants or property owners who faced expenses for shelter.
The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has ruled that a squatter’s tent in a city park meets the legal definition of “accommodation,” in response to whether he should qualify for welfare for shelter costs.
The ruling is a landmark decision regarding urban encampments, which have become a growing issue across Canadians cities and towns.
Bradley Lowe, a tent squatter in Halifax’s Victoria Park, applied for welfare under the provincial Employment Support and Income Assistance Act in 2023 but was initially denied coverage due to his living situation.
While Lowe qualified for $380 per month as “income assistance” with an additional $92 for cellphone costs and expenses to support his “psychological medical condition,” he was denied a total of $974, which would have included a rent subsidy.
He was “deemed unhoused” because the money was designed to help cover low-income tenants or property owners who faced costs of shelter.
