• S-253 (45-1) - Making Child Care More Affordable for Canadian Families Act

  Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
  Date: 2026-10-29 00:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Taxation, Affordability, Social Services, Governance]

  Bill S-253, titled the Making Child Care More Affordable for Canadian Families Act, was introduced and read for the first time in the Senate on October 29, 2026. The Senate Public Bill proposes to amend the Income Tax Act specifically regarding the child care expense deduction indexation. The legislation is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate during the 1st session of the 45th Parliament.

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• Improved Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability Program Delivers Increased Support to Clients

  Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
  Date: 2026-10-21 23:00:00.0
  Tags: [Saskatchewan, Social Services, Affordability, Governance]

  The Government of Saskatchewan has implemented improvements to the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) program, which provides benefits to more than 18,000 residents. Approximately 44 per cent of SAID clients (more than 7,700 people) experienced an increase in their monthly benefits, averaging $51 more per month, with certain families and rural residents seeing increases of up to $294 per month. The structural modifications and expansion of the Living Income Benefit delivered nearly $400,000 in additional benefits in September alone and are projected to inject approximately $4.7 million in extra support over the next year.

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• Housing advocate fears removing rent control will thwart plan to end homelessness

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-10-15 19:45:44.0
  Tags: [National, Housing, Affordability, Social Services, Governance]

  The Yukon territorial government endorsed the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition's 112-page community action plan to end homelessness, titled A Place to Be, while simultaneously introducing a bill in the Legislative Assembly via Community Services Minister Cory Bellmore to repeal rent caps and reintroduce no-cause evictions. Kristina Craig, executive director of the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition, expressed concern that the elimination of rent control will jeopardize housing stability for current renters and undermine progress toward the plan's 29 recommendations. Scott Kent, the minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corporation, stated that the government supports the plan's vision but declined to endorse its target of reducing homelessness by 50 percent in two years, while highlighting forthcoming housing developments such as 34 units at the former Korbo apartment site in Dawson City and 184 units delivered in partnership with the Da Daghay Development Corporation.

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• PQ leader says referendum not immediate priority as he prepares to lead minority government

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-10-07 09:00:19.0
  Tags: [Quebec, Governance, Affordability, Social Services, Trade]

  Following the Parti Québécois election victory where the party secured 59 seats, Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon announced that a sovereignty referendum is not an immediate priority for his minority government. Instead, the government will focus on pressing issues including organizing a summit on homelessness, freezing salaries for National Assembly members and Crown corporation directors, creating a secretariat to review government spending and bureaucracy, and appointing a trade team to address trade tensions with the United States. St-Pierre Plamondon will require legislative collaboration with opposition parties, including the Liberals with 40 seats, the Conservative Party with 19 seats, and Québec solidaire, to pass policy initiatives.

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• S-251 (45-1) - An Act to establish a national strategy to end energy poverty

  Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
  Date: 2026-10-01 00:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Energy, Affordability, Social Services, Governance]

  Senator Mary Coyle introduced Senate Public Bill S-251, entitled An Act to establish a national strategy to end energy poverty, in the Senate of Canada. The legislation reached its first reading on October 1, 2026, during the 1st session of the 45th Parliament. The bill aims to create a comprehensive federal framework and national strategy to address and eliminate energy poverty across Canada. Currently, the bill is positioned at the second reading stage in the Senate for future debate and committee review.

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• N.S. government changes income assistance rules to exclude people living in tents

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-08-27 12:01:07.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Housing, Social Services, Affordability, Governance]

  The Nova Scotia provincial government, acting on the recommendation of Susan Corkum-Greek, Minister of Opportunities and Social Development, introduced regulatory changes via an order-in-council to exclude unhoused individuals living in tents from receiving enhanced income assistance rates. The regulatory amendments replace the term "accommodation" with "lives in a home" and narrow the definition of "home" to self-employed units, rented spaces, lodging houses, or single-occupancy rooms. This policy change directly overturns an August 5, 2026 Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruling in favour of the late Bradley Lowe, which had established that individuals living in tents were eligible for enhanced disability and income support. Human rights lawyer Vince Calderhead criticized the policy as forcing vulnerable individuals deeper into poverty, while the department stated the changes provide clearer administrative direction.

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