The South Shore Open Doors Association will receive $25,000 in provincial funding to help those who are housing insecure.

The South Shore Open Doors Association will receive $25,000 from the Nova Scotia government to help people in Queens and Lunenburg counties in precarious housing situations.

It’s part of a total of $500,000 in one-time funding announced this week for community groups across the province.  

“Our government continues to invest in initiatives that support vulnerable Nova Scotians,” Queens MLA Kim Masland said in a news release.

“This funding is another step in assisting our residents who require safe and affordable housing.”

The money will be used to assist with costs such as rental arrears, overdue power bills and other expenses that could affect someone’s ability to get or maintain housing, according to the release. 

People will also be directed to other supports and services to help in the long term.

Photo Ed Halverson

By Rick Conrad

Nova Scotia Power customers may see less of an increase on their electricity bills.

The Nova Scotia government says it wants to help extend the time period that ratepayers have to cover a portion of the utility’s fuel costs.

That would mean a rate increase of 1.1 per cent instead of the planned seven per cent for residential customers and 13 per cent for industrial users, according to a news release Monday.

“If we did not take action, Nova Scotia Power would seek another large power rate increase this year,” said Tory Rushton, minister of natural resources and renewables. 

“While we would prefer no increase at all, we are proposing a solution that would mean a considerably smaller increase of about 1.1 per cent instead.”

The amount ratepayers owe for fuel costs is included in the utility’s fuel adjustment mechanism. Each year, it files a proposal with the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board to recover its fuel costs. The board sets power rates based on those costs.

The government would buy $117 million of Nova Scotia Power’s outstanding $395 million fuel adjustment cost. It would get it back from ratepayers through their power bills over a 10-year period.

The government said it sent its proposal to the review board on Monday.  

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com