Houston government creating more barriers for those experiencing homelessness

HALIFAX – In the face of rising levels of homelessness, the Houston government is making it harder for people to access public housing. Recent changes limiting how people are added to the priority waitlist will prevent MLA offices and others from providing this support.

“All of these changes mean fewer people can get the help they need. It does nothing to change the number of people who need help,” said NSNDP Housing spokesperson Suzy Hansen. “We have hundreds of people actively homeless in HRM and many more across the province. The Houston government spends a lot of time talking about housing but so far their actions aren’t doing enough to make sure people can find or keep an affordable home for them and their families.”

According to friends of the man who died in a tent encampment in Dartmouth last week, he was in the process of getting a housing support worker which will now be required to be added to the priority list.

“As MLAs we support people in our offices who are struggling, living in their cars, with friends, or about to be evicted into homelessness. This change to restrict MLA offices from helping people get onto the priority access list is just the latest barrier the Houston government has created for people looking for help,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender.

Earlier this year the Houston government changed a policy to stop MLAs from supporting people who don’t have a lease getting rent supplements and in January a change was made to restrict rent supplements to people who spend 50 percent or more of their income on housing, up from 30 percent in the past.

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