Nova Scotia Court says a tent qualifies as accommodation for higher assistance

A recent judgment by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal determined that a tent should be treated as accommodation for the purposes of the Employment Support and Income Assistance Act, thereby qualifying the deceased Bradley Lowe’s estate for the enhanced assistance rate of $974 per month. The decision reverses earlier denials by a Department of Community Services caseworker, an internal review, the Assistance Appeal Board, and a Supreme Court of Nova Scotia ruling that had held a tent did not satisfy the housing requirement.

Chief Justice Michael J. Wood highlighted that the legislation aims to aid individuals in need, regardless of shelter type, and concluded that Lowe’s owned tent satisfied the statutory definition. The court also ordered $3,000 in costs to be paid to the appellant, Jacqueline Lowe. This precedent may broaden eligibility for enhanced income assistance among unhoused individuals who own and reside in tents across Nova Scotia.