Ottawa — As much progress as Canada makes to solve the housing crisis, it will not be over as long as there are people living in tents because they cannot afford a place to live.
Through Canada’s Housing Plan, we made it clear that we would be taking a leadership role to help end encampments and to address homelessness. We intend to do this by supplying funding and coordinating with other orders of government. The federal government announced that we are ready to negotiate agreements and invest in any province or territory who will cost-match the federal government’s funding to support communities facing the most pressure.
The government is allocating $250 million, as outlined in Budget 2024, to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness. This funding is intended to be cost-matched by provinces and territories, leveraging up to $500 million to provide more shelter spaces, transitional homes, and services to help those in encampments find housing.
This builds on existing programs like Reaching Home, a federal investment of $5 billion over nine years to address homelessness. This includes a Budget 2024 investment of $1 billion over four years to stabilize program funding. Additionally, the federal government is investing $79.1 million through the Veteran Homelessness Program (VHP) to serve those in need.
We look forward to working with all provincial and territorial leaders who want to see the funding invested into their communities.
Canada’s housing crisis will not be solved by any one level of government, any single service provider, or any home builder alone. We must work together to put an end to encampments in our communities. We are calling on provinces and territories to help us do just that.
“Across Canada, playgrounds, parks, and public squares have become the last refuge for too many individuals. The harsh realities faced by those living without stable shelter do not reflect the values we hold as Canadians. This reality divides our communities and impacts us all. We must work together to help the country’s most vulnerable find safe and affordable places to call home. We can and must do better.” – Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities