There is a severe housing crisis in Halifax and many other Nova Scotia towns. As in most any crisis, it’s painful for everybody, but the very poor, and especially also the racialized poor, are bearing the brunt. However, when you listen to Housing Nova Scotia senior bureaucrats at yesterday’s Community Services Standing Committee you do not get a sense of urgency.
PSA: The right to food protects Canadians from food insecurity and hunger. However, this does not obligate the Canadian government to feed citizens. This panel will examine the practicality of harnessing private sector food supply chains to provide affordable and nutritious food as well as assessing policy mechanisms that can protect Canadians against hunger and malnutrition.
Fairly often poor people in Halifax get stopped by police and private security guards for involuntary behaviour such as fidgeting and staring at people, behaving as if intoxicated, and talking to themselves in public. In a follow up on earlier stories Kendall Worth spoke with people who submitted formal complaints with police, mall management and even the Human Rights commission.
“No one should be homeless in our city, but because of greed and those who get to call the shots in Province House and our city, and with our tax dollars, the unfortunate are left to suffer.”
When it comes to homelessness and a lack of affordable housing Halifax is not much better off than larger cities like Toronto and Vancouver. John Clarke draws on his long experience as a poverty and housing activist in Ontario to consider what avenues of direct action will allow us to make real gains.
Food banks are a wonderful institution, and in these times of austerity-induced suffering they need our full support. That said, food banks are not very efficient in getting food to hungry families. “We found that most food-insecure households delayed bill payments and sought financial help from friends and family, but only 21.1% used food banks,” the authors of a recent study state.
Kendall Worth writes an open letter to Karen Casey, Nova Scotia’s minister of Finance, to make the case for a social inclusion tax credit and increased mental health spending. “The rates are not enough for income assistance recipients to get out and meet people. Their ability to be involved in their community is limited due to having so very little money to live on. Often this lack of money is causing feelings of social anxiety!”
News release: Anti-poverty advocates are deeply disappointed with the Province’s announcement of so-called “increases” to Income Assistance rates.
Kendall on social inclusion, not just during the holidays, but all the time. “Income Assistance recipients see people moving on in life, being financially better off, driving vehicles, being in relationships and living healthy lives. Income Assistance recipients ask, Why can’t it be us?”
“And for all sixty years of their lives together every Christmas was more than Christmas because each one was imbued with the joy they’d felt that first Christmas Eve as they walked down that rural road, the snow, like grace, floating down around them.” Another lovely story by Catherine Banks, about poverty, love, and yes, Christmas.