A man questioned the province rent subsidy rules after their pastor asked him to a homeless father and son into his home.
Rent Subsidy Rules
Joshua Diagle happily welcomed a father and a son to their house when their pastor asked for help.
In an interview, he said that he was open for them because he had space and it’s not about money. He is willing to help a father and son who need shelter.
According to Mike, not his real name, that he went to New Brunswick from Ontario in July to search for a new life. He was homeless most of his years and grew up on the streets of East York in Toronto.
On his first week in New Brunswick, he was only sleeping in his car. Then, he contacted the Salvation Army in Fredericton and was put in touch with Pastor Derek Jones of Fredericton’s Bridge Church. After that, Jones helps him look for temporary shelter.
He was happy that he was told that he was one of the grantees for the province’s rent subsidy. This is a program where the province will pay for a large portion of the rent of an apartment. Mike was so happy because finally, they had a house to live in.
Finding their home was not easy because the landlords did not trust them immediately. They faced a lot of discrimination thinking that those who had the subsidy were criminals.
According to a report published by Global News, the rent subsidy rules will be cut off once they can’t find a place until November 1st
There are a lot of emails coming to him that push him to give up the rent subsidy rules. However, they didn’t give up his dream.
He also shares his life with Daigle in a week and he is happy. However, the province rent subsidy rule won’t pay his rent to Diagle since they are sharing the same kitchen and bathroom with his landlord. The province won’t subsidize him.
On Friday an e-mail was sent to the Global News from the representative of the province’s Department of Employment and Social Development that the program provides an adequate living for individuals which means that the program requires discrete units that provide living, sleeping, eating, food preparation, and sanitary facilities.
In a market with historically low rental vacancy rates, renters cannot afford to be picky, thus Daigle questioned the province’s justification.
In a report by Flipboard, Diagle opened his home to these two homeless individuals whether he can pay his rent or not. For Diagle he welcomes them wholeheartedly not because of the rent subsidy rules of the province.
Both Diagle and Mike share the common experience of having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Diagle felt happy when Mike and his son lived with him.
According to Daigle, his mental health problems stopped him from doing his work properly especially to clean his property. Then, Mike helped him by doing yard work, cooking, and cleaning.
Daigle shares what Mike said that he will stay active by cleaning his house. For the first time in his two years being alone, the house was clean and they ate with some steak and mashed potatoes. For Diagle, living with these two individuals makes his living beneficial.
