News

West Coast LEAF and Pivot Legal Society and are calling on the Ombudsperson of British Columbia to investigate shelter allowance reductions for families with children in temporary foster care.  The complaint alleges that the policy unfairly impacts poor families, and women in particular.   

“Reducing shelter allowance for parents with children in temporary care compromises the principle of family reunification, breaches the Charter and is inconsistent with domestic and international human rights law,” says Kasari Govender, West Coast LEAF Legal Director.  “It is our position that the shelter allowance policy is unjust and contrary to the rule of law.”

Current Ministry of Housing and Social Development (MHSD) policy reduces a parent's monthly shelter allowance when their children are in the temporary care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD).  This means that a parent will likely lose their housing or be forced into accommodation that may not be a suitable for the return of their children from care. 

“On the one hand, when a child is taken into care, MCFD social workers are charged with returning children safely to their parents as soon as possible. On the other hand, the welfare system makes that impossible by taking away the housing that is necessary for the child to return to their parents.” says Lobat Sadrehashemi, staff lawyer at Pivot. “These two systems are working directly against each other, and it hurts the most vulnerable families.”

Pivot and West Coast LEAF are bringing this systemic complaint on behalf of Atira Women’s Resource Society, Battered Women’s Support Services, Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, and the Kettle Friendship Society.