First Voice who live the ESIA System needs to start speaking up again!

By Kendall Worth!
 

To start off, here is a bit of background about this BLOG post:

I had been thinking over these past few weeks more and more about how we still have a large number of people living in poverty right here in Halifax who are afraid to speak out about their difficulty living on Income Assistance in Nova Scotia. These are people who would be good to speak up if they had the opportunity.

 

 

Today,  I am writing this BLOG post approximately 3 to 4 years after the Benefits Reform Action Group stopped [BRAG]. You can read more about this here. You can also learn about BRAG by clicking here.

I got to thinking without the existence of BRAG. What other Advocacy groups and organizations are available in Halifax these days?

• There is the  is the Halifax Workers’ Action Centre  Note: some of you may remember their event on Thanksgiving weekend in 2023, which I advertised on my BLOG. 
• There is also Equity Watch 

The problem is that none of the groups and organization mentioned above have changes to Income Assistance on their agendas. This is exactly what BRAG was advocating for.

There are two  other advocacy groups that have this somewhat on their agendas, but still not to the extent  that BRAG did:

• Canadian Policy for Alternatives
  
• Acorn
  

Don’t get me wrong - Acorn is doing some great work advocating for affordable housing and landlord licensing. There are still other factors relating to poverty that are not included on their agenda.

Anyway, in the meantime, many of you may have noticed that I have been taking somewhat of a break from my blogging and journalism. This is in order to reconnect and refocus after all the time and effort I put into the Carrie-Ann Bugden story

Currently, my main goal is to reconnect with the community I advocate for in Halifax. During recent conversations with first voice people in Halifax, it is clear that many people miss BRAG and feel like they are lacking a voice these days. Everyone living in poverty that I have been speaking with recently share that they are frustrated about this lack of representation and community.

They all agree that even though, as reported in this BLOG post, two recent increases to income assistance have occurred, many bureaucratic and senseless problems have not been resolved. For example:

• People on Income Assistance are still having problems accessing the Special Diet allowances that are available. BRAG was Advocating for easier access to the Special Diet Allowances.

• We still have a system that leaves people lonely and socially isolated, including challenges for people in relationships or seeking romantic relationships. You can learn more about this here and here.  BRAG was advocating to get this stopped.

• Some people who used to attend BRAG meetings tell me that they felt safe at those meetings. This was a place where they could openly talk about the issues impacting them mentally, including fears about their Annual Review, which you can learn more about here. BRAG was also advocating to have those dreaded Annual Reviews halted. 

 

Unfortunately, they do not feel this way about other advocacy groups listed above, who are not taking on these issues. 

 

For more one what BRAG was During it's Existence See Blow Photo! 

 

 

This BLOG post here gives a general description of some resources needed.

I will Continue to advocate for people on Income Assistance. I hope advocates against poverty in Halifax will join me.