BILL NO. 493
(as introduced)
1st Session, 64th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
3 Charles III, 2024
Private Member's Bill
Homelessness Task Force Act
Kendra Coombes
Cape Breton Centre–Whitney Pier
First Reading: September 18, 2024
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act Respecting
a Homelessness Task Force
1 This Act may be cited as the Homelessness Task Force Act.
"Minister" means the Minister of Community Services;
"Task Force" means the Homelessness Task Force established under Section 3.
3 (1) The Minister shall establish a Homelessness Task Force.
(2) The Task Force's membership must include
(a) Government representatives;
(b) municipal government representatives;
(c) advocates in the areas of housing and homelessness;
(d) healthcare and social service workers;
(e) legal and justice workers;
(f) law enforcement representatives;
(g) individuals who have lived experience with homelessness; and
(h) representatives of social service groups who work with the homeless community.
(a) assist in developing and monitor actions taken under any Government or municipal government homelessness strategies in the Province;
(b) on an ongoing basis, work to provide accurate data on homelessness across the Province to ensure that support measures are aligned with need; and
- (i) the implementation of poverty reduction measures,
(ii) the implementation of measures to improve mental health, and
(iii) any other intersecting policy issues and developments the Task Force considers relevant.
5 The Task Force shall meet at least once every three months.
6 (1) The Task Force shall, on an annual basis, provide the Minister with a monitoring report that
(a) indicates the rates of homelessness across the Province;
(b) outlines progress on measures designed to prevent and respond to homelessness in the Province; and
(c) includes any recommendations to the Minister on preventing and responding to homelessness in the Province.
(2) The Minister shall make a report provided under subsection (1) public within one month of receiving it.
(3) The Minister shall, within two months of receiving a report provided under subsection (1), provide and make public a response to the report, which response must include a plan to implement any recommendations provided by the Task Force.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2024 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created September 18, 2024. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
