N.S. government looks to compensate rent supplement recipients who were underpaid

Nova Scotia’s Minister of Housing, Colton LeBlanc, has directed officials in his department to explore the possibility of compensating individuals who have been underpaid in their rent supplements over the past two years. This revelation came after an internal audit of the program uncovered that some recipients were receiving $10 to $30 less per month than they were entitled to.

While these discrepancies may seem minor, Minister LeBlanc emphasized that for individuals dependent on these rent supplements, even small amounts can have a significant impact. The audit, conducted by EY, was initiated to assess the effectiveness of the program, which has seen a substantial increase in funding and clientele since the Progressive Conservatives took office in 2021.

The audit identified 104 individuals in East Hants and Timberlea who had been underpaid due to inaccuracies in calculating average market rent based on geographic information. Although there were also instances of overpayments resulting from miscalculations, specific details were not disclosed by the minister. With a total of 1,200 program clients in the assessed areas, the errors affected a significant portion of the population.

Once the discrepancies were identified, corrections were promptly implemented to ensure that recipients received the correct payments moving forward. Minister LeBlanc acknowledged that human errors can occur and emphasized the importance of automating processes to prevent similar instances in the future.

The audit findings were made public through the province’s freedom of information disclosure website, although the government did not actively publicize the results. Opposition leader Claudia Chender of the NDP criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the audit and its implications. She highlighted the challenges faced by many Nova Scotians in securing affordable housing and expressed concerns about the government’s management of the rent supplement program.

As the government addresses the underpayments and works towards improving the program’s efficiency, it is essential to prioritize transparency and accountability to ensure that individuals in need of housing support receive the assistance they require.