Richard Starr fears that with last week’s fiscal update the NS Liberals seem to be going for a repeat – not so much from what they said, but from what was not said. The update could credibly have been presented as relatively good news, instead of a prelude to the belt-tightening signaled by McNeil.
We talk with Wendy Lill, chair of the Community Homes Action Group, to understand what the provincial budget means for people labeled with developmental disabilities who are locked up in institutions. or at home, waiting for an opportunity to live in the community like you and I. It doesn’t look good.
More people will qualify for the NS Child Benefit program, and that’s a good thing. But there is nothing in the provincial budget to improve the lives of people on income assistance and their kids.
Media release: The ACE (Advocates for the Care of the Elderly) Team says that the McNeil government is pretending in its 2020-21 Budget that long-term care is a priority, but really only taking very limited steps to address the very real crisis in care that has been continuing for many years.
By the Objective News Agency investigative team: The government announced over a $1 Billion infrastructure spending spree for 2020-2021. More than double what the Province spent last year. However, the Black community will not benefit economically from this massive spending. Not even a trickle down effect.
With so many people on a waitlist for community-based living opportunities, the eight small option homes the government has committed to just don’t cut it, writes Wendy Lill of the Community Homes Action Group.
A letter from the Community Society to End Poverty to Finance minister Karen Casey with recommendations for the upcoming provincial budget to raise incomes for people on income assistance and deal with the rental crisis.
“The current government adopted the Roadmap Report and a 10-year time frame for significantly increasing community-based supported living options while decreasing reliance on large institutions. So far, however, the allocation of resources from government needed to create community capacity has been woefully inadequate. Wait lists for services continue to grow – from 1100 in 2015 to 1300 in 2017 to nearly 1500 last year. This is because the badly needed investments by government have not been forthcoming.”
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!”