Tent should have entitled homeless man to higher welfare level, N.S. lawyer argues – Halifax [Video]

The lawyer for a homeless man who died at a Halifax encampment is arguing in court today that his client’s welfare payments should have been as high as those received by people with permanent housing.

Vince Calderhead, a human rights lawyer, originally represented Lowe in an unsuccessful bid last Dec. 7 to have the man’s monthly payment from the Department of Community Services raised.

Lowe was living in a tent in a city park at the time and argued he should have been eligible for $950 monthly — the standard rate for people with disabilities living in a household — rather than the $380 for “essentials” paid to a person without a home.

The 30-year-old died on Dec. 15 at another tent encampment that he was visiting, and an appeal board dismissed his case four days later.

However, Calderhead is seeking a judicial review before the Nova Scotia Supreme Court …