Question Period Note: Federal Homelessness Programming

What is the Government of Canada doing to address homelessness?

• Homelessness is a complex issue, and it is on the rise. The Government of Canada is working with partners and communities across Canada to eliminate chronic homelessness.

• We are investing $4 billion over nine years through Reaching Home to support communities in preventing and reducing homelessness.

• Budget 2024 announced an additional investment of $1 billion over four years to stabilize program funding and $250 million over two years to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness.

• Since 2019, Reaching Home has provided close to 150,000 people with homelessness prevention services, and has assisted over 88,000 in attaining more stable housing.

• Budget 2024: On April 16, 2024, the Budget announced:

  • An investment of $1 billion over four years from 2024-25 to 2027-28 to stabilize funding for Reaching Home (including $50 million to accelerate community-level reductions in homelessness); and
  • $250 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness (to be cost-matched by provinces and territories).

• Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy
  Launched in 2019 as part of the National Housing Strategy, the program funds specific communities through the Designated Communities, Indigenous Homelessness, Rural and Remote Homelessness and Territorial Homelessness streams.

Since April 1, 2019, Reaching Home has supported over 8,600 projects:
* Over 88,000 people have been assisted in attaining more stable housing;
* Nearly 38,000 people began receiving income assistance;
* Close to 150,000 people received prevention services such as short-term rental assistance or landlord mediation; and
* Over 14,000 people started new paid employment.

• In Quebec, the Designated Communities stream and the Rural and Remote Homelessness stream are governed by a Canada-Quebec Agreement that respects the jurisdictions and priorities of both governments.

• The Indigenous Homelessness funding stream allocates funding directly to off reserve organizations that provide culturally appropriate services to Indigenous people experiencing homelessness.

• The Distinctions-based Approaches stream provides dedicated funding to address specific needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals.

• Through Budget 2022, $18.1 million is being invested in Action Research on Chronic Homelessness. This initiative explores ways to break down persistent barriers that communities face in their efforts to eliminate chronic homelessness.

• Veteran Homelessness Program: The Services and Supports Stream provides up to $72.9 million in funding for rent supplements and wrap-around services and the Capacity Building Stream provides up to $6.2 million in funding to support research on veteran homelessness and capacity building. Projects are now underway.

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