Government of Canada helps more communities to prevent and reduce homelessness
News Release
June 2, 2016 Gatineau, Québec Employment and Social Development Canada
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, today provided further details regarding the increase in funding to the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) that was announced as part of Budget 2016 support for social infrastructure. The additional investment will provide communities across Canada with the flexibility and support they need to help prevent and reduce homelessness.
One of the Government of Canada’s priorities is to empower all Canadians to build better lives for themselves and to enable them to contribute to and share in the prosperity of our society. In order to meet this commitment, the Government recognizes that it must respond to the pressing and unmet needs of communities across the country with regards to homelessness.
As a result, Budget 2016 will invest an additional $111.8 million to enhance services to address homelessness through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy over two years, starting in 2016–17. More than $12.5 million of that new funding will be invested towards the Innovative Solutions to Homelessness (ISH) stream. That important increase will allow a wide range of organizations and stakeholders to develop and test innovative approaches to prevent and reduce homelessness — particularly among specific homeless populations such as Indigenous Canadians, youth, women fleeing violence and veterans.
Furthermore, this investment will provide increased funding for the 61 Designated Communities and will ensure that more communities across Canada have access to HPS funding by creating more flexibility under the Rural and Remote Homelessness stream. Details regarding funding allocations will be provided to Designated Communities in the coming weeks.
Budget 2016 also announced a broad engagement process with provinces and territories, Indigenous and other communities and key stakeholders in the coming year to develop a National Housing Strategy. In this context, the Government of Canada will engage in a consultation process as we move forward on the design and implementation of future investments in housing and homelessness.
Quick Facts
- Budget 2016 $111.8 million investment to address homelessness is the first increase since the creation of the National Homelessness Initiative in 1999.
- Since its launch, nearly 35,000 Canadians who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless have benefitted from education and training opportunities; over 34,000 have received help to find work; more than 6,000 new shelter beds have been created; and have helped place over 82,000 people in more stable housing.
Quote
“Every segment of our society must be treated with dignity and respect and be given the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution. The face of homelessness is changing and we have to adapt to provide the adequate support to communities to build capacity to help homeless population’s lead valuable lives. That is why, through Budget 2016, we are increasing funding to meet the needs of communities across the country to prevent and reduce homelessness and to explore innovative ways to address specific homeless populations.”
– The Honorable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
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Backgrounder
Homelessness Partnering Strategy
The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) is a unique community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness by providing direct support and funding to 61 designated communities in all provinces and territories, as well as to Aboriginal, rural and remote communities across Canada, to help them address homelessness.
Funding for Homelessness Projects
Through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS), qualified organizations may receive funding for projects to help prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada. These projects are funded through regional and/or national funding streams.
Regional projects
Funding delivered regionally focuses on the needs of homeless and at-risk individuals at the local level, and aims to help individuals gain and maintain a stable living arrangement. The three regional streams are:
- Designated Communities:
- A total of 61 communities across Canada that have a significant problem with homelessness have been selected to receive ongoing support to address this issue. These communities—mostly urban centres—are given funding that must be matched with contributions from other sources. Funded projects must support priorities identified through a community planning process.
- Rural and Remote Homelessness (non-designated communities):
- The Rural and Remote Homelessness funding stream targets smaller, non-designated communities located in rural and outlying areas. This funding is not available to the 61 designated communities.
- Aboriginal Homelessness:
- The Aboriginal Homelessness funding stream addresses the specific needs of the off-reserve homeless Aboriginal population by supporting an integrated service delivery system that is culturally appropriate and community-driven.
- The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) partners with Aboriginal groups to ensure that services meet the unique needs of off-reserve homeless Aboriginal people in cities and rural areas. The unique needs of all First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and non-status Indians are also considered.
- Off-reserve Aboriginal people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are also served under the Designated Communities and Rural and Remote Homelessness funding streams.
National projects
The national funding streams help to develop a better understanding of homelessness based on local data collection, and make surplus federal real properties available to organizations that plan to use the facilities to address homelessness.
- Innovative Solutions to Homelessness:
- The Innovative Solutions to Homelessness funding stream is delivered nationally and supports the development of the best innovative approaches to reducing homelessness. Funding can be used to support activities in three key areas: supporting community-based innovative projects to reduce homelessness and/or the cost of homelessness; building strategic partnerships with key stakeholders; and testing and/or sharing tools, social metrics, and research findings geared towards homelessness
- National Homelessness Information System:
- The National Homelessness Information System (NHIS) is a federal data development initiative designed to collect and analyze baseline data related primarily to the use of emergency shelters in Canada.
- This funding stream supports the implementation and deployment of the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) software, HIFIS training at the community level, and projects related to community shelter data coordination.
- Data collected through HIFIS and other sources, such as provincial or municipal governments, feed into the NHIS to help develop a national portrait of homelessness.
- Surplus Federal Real Property Initiative:
- The Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative (SFRPHI) is a funding stream of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS). It makes surplus federal real properties available to eligible recipients for projects to help prevent and reduce homelessness.
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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos Employment and Social Development Canada Persons