By Kendall Worth
As I reported in my September 11, 2025 blog
post
(Here),
the Nova Scotia Legislature resumed on September 23rd, 2025. Yet by October
3rd, the House had already adjourned — a sitting so brief it barely scratched
the surface of the crises facing this province.
For people living in poverty and struggling with mental health challenges, this
short session was more than disappointing — it was a signal that their
government still refuses to take their realities seriously. I’ve spoken with
many members of the community I advocate for through my blog, and every one of
them said the same thing: this sitting failed them. The Houston Government once
again showed little to no interest in addressing the real, urgent issues that
define daily life for thousands of Nova Scotians.
Yes, we saw an increase in Income Assistance rates earlier this year — as I
reported back in January 2025
(https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2025/01/we-are-now-offcially-into-2025-and-time.html).
But meeting inflation is not progress; it’s the bare minimum. The community
expected this fall session to bring real movement on the unfinished work of
ESIA Transformation — the overhaul of a system that, for too long, has trapped
people in poverty instead of helping them out of it. You can read more
background on that work here
(https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/ESIA%20Transformation).
Yet the government stayed silent. Once again, the needs of low-income Nova
Scotians — people whose mental health continues to be harmed by the daily
realities of poverty — were ignored.
In my work through For What Matters Journalism and my reporting for the now
folded Nova Scotia Advocate (https://nsadvocate.org/author/kendall-worth/),
I’ve documented how this neglect affects people’s well-being and sense of
belonging. The stories are countless, and the pattern is always the same:
government inaction leads to deepening poverty, isolation, and despair. As I
wrote in this post (https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-rise-of-introverts-in-halifax-and.html),
the history of Income Assistance in Nova Scotia is a history of disconnection —
one that continues to shape lives today.
What’s Still Happening in Nova Scotia Today?
· Even though the current rate is now $1,005 a month, Income Assistance is still not enough to live on.
· Nova Scotia continues to face a rising homeless population, with too few safe or affordable options.
· Our system remains policy-driven instead of people-centred, enforcing social isolation and discouraging independence.
· The mental health system continues to offer no real, accessible solutions for those most affected by poverty.
People living these realities expected their government to act on them during this sitting. Instead, they got silence.
Poverty Is a Political Choice
The Houston Government cannot claim to care
about mental health while ignoring poverty — because the two are inseparable.
Chronic poverty, housing insecurity, and social isolation all take a
devastating toll on people’s mental well-being.
It’s not enough to celebrate “meeting inflation.” It’s not enough to make token
gestures or promise “transformation” while maintaining a system that still
leaves people choosing between food and medication.
Nova Scotia deserves leadership that listens, learns, and acts.
A Call to Action
1. To all government officials reading this:
· Reopen the conversation on ESIA Transformation.
· Raise Income Assistance to a truly livable level.
· Fund mental health programs that meet people where they are — not just in hospitals, but in their communities.
· Recognize poverty as a human rights issue.
2. And to the public, to fellow activists, and to allies across Nova Scotia:
· Keep speaking out.
· Write to your MLA.
· Attend public meetings and demand answers.
· Share these stories — because silence only protects the status quo.
Change happens when communities refuse to be quiet. The people I advocate for have waited long enough. It’s time for Nova Scotia to choose compassion, fairness, and real leadership.
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