CMHA Standing Committee presentation spurs further action

Apr 30, 2021

The Face of Poverty Consultation (FACE) has made public, their concern with several issues recently raised by the Canadian Mental Health Association-NS Division.

In a letter addressed to the Hon. Kelly Regan, Minister of Community Services for Nova Scotia, Carolyn Earle, Corresponding Secretary of the Face of Poverty Consultation (FACE), cited data presented by Pamela Magee, Executive Director of CMHA-NS Division during her presentation to the Standing Committee on Community Services in Halifax on January 5, 2021.

(Courtesy of the Nova Scotia Legislature Standing Committee on Community Services)

“The presenters advised that a significant factor in ensuring and promoting mental health is safe, affordable and appropriate housing, Earle wrote in the letter dated February 24, 2021.

“It was noted that 75 – 80 per cent of their [CMHA’s Project Hope] clients receive Income Assistance — so right away poverty is an issue. Therefore individuals’ funds for housing are very limited. Housing is a major issue — transitional housing, emergency housing and affordable long term housing.”

Earle continued, pointing out that the experience of FACE, “in attendance at meetings of the Standing Committee over the years,” has been that housing/ homelessness has been a “repeated refrain” in most of the issues presented to the Committee.

“More funding for affordable housing is urgently needed right now,” she concluded.” We can only trust that some immediate actions will come from the work of the newly appointed Affordable Housing Commission.”

View Earle’s letter Letter re CMHA Feb2021 #2pdf