Press Hits

It’s the time of year when Nova Scotians are facing the decision of when to top up their oil tanks.

The province announced help to do just that with the launch of the Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP).

“Nova Scotians will see that the program that we launched today on Oct. 1 is the same thresholds and same rebate amount as last year,” Service Nova Scotia MLA Jill Balser says.

Families earning a combined net income of up to $45,000 and single-person households earning a net income up to $30,000 are eligible for the $400 rebate.

Recipients of the Guaranteed Income Supplement or income assistance are also eligible.

“It’s definitely beneficial for those that qualify into the program because every little bit helps,” says Marni Yuke, the chief program officer with Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.

But with the skyrocketing price of home heating fuel and the overall cost of living some are asking if $400 enough.

“Any program they put out there is great but realistically it’s a Band-Aid,” Yuke says.

There’s plenty of families with two incomes, both parents are still working and they’re still scraping by and making choices between heating and food,” adds ACORN leader, Miriam Williams.

As colder temperatures approach, some in Nova Scotia are raising concerns over heating costs and questioning the adequacy of the province’s assistance rebate program.

Halifax resident Miriam Williams has previously qualified for the Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP), but no longer does because of changing criteria.

“In a word, it’s unacceptable,” said Williams, who is also a leader with the tenant advocacy group, ACORN.

“This is not a handout by any means. This is just something that helps people get by.”

The program, which opened for applications Thursday for this season, offers eligible households up to $400.

With winter heating bills on the horizon, the Nova Scotia government is once again offering a $400 rebate to low-income households, but some say the program is insufficient.

“$400 is not enough to meet the reality households are facing,” said Juli Bishwokarma, an energy co-ordinator with the Ecology Action Centre.

The heating assistance rebate program, or HARP, is open for applications from Oct. 1 to Mar. 31, and the province released details of this winter’s program on Tuesday afternoon.

The parameters remain the same as they were last year — the rebate is available to individuals with a net income no greater than $30,000 and households with a net income no greater than $45,000.

For many, affording a place to live is at the top of their list of worries. Rents have skyrocketed in recent years, making affordability a very large question mark – driving some to lengths they never would have considered before.

But for the ones like Michelle Firman, it’s driving them to take a stand.

Firman is rallying the troops in Stratford to help bring a tenant’s union to town, specifically ACORN Canada. In a recent social media post on the topic, Firman said there was a union on its way to town; she later confirmed to StratfordToday that she’s been out recruiting for the cause.

The fight against so-called “renovictions” at a pair of Chatham apartment buildings has made its way to the top.

According to Darcy Bellinger, a tenant at 49 Taylor Ave., Premier Doug Ford is personally referring the matter to Attorney General Doug Downey.

“He’s going to pass my phone number on,” Bellinger told The Voice late last week after Ford called him. “At least the issue is getting somewhere. Hopefully, there will be some actual change that comes out of this.”

Hamilton tenant advocates are among those calling for renters to have a say in the next iteration of Canada’s expiring National Housing Strategy, arguing the ongoing affordability crunch affects them the most.

Members of Hamilton ACORN briefly met with Liberal MP Aslam Rana outside his downtown office Thursday to deliver a letter urging Prime Minister Mark Carney and Housing Minister Gregor Robertson to ensure tenants aren’t left out.

“As of right now, there’s no indication that they’re going to be involving tenants in the process,” Amanda Dick told The Spectator before she and her peers spoke to Rana.

But consultation with tenants on the next version of the $115-billion-plus National Housing Strategy is crucial, she said, “because this will disproportionately affect tenants, who are already in dire straits.”