Backgrounder: Advisory Committee on Homelessness

Advisory Committee on Homelessness

The mandate of the Advisory Committee on Homelessness is to support the redesign of Employment and Social Development Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) after 2018-19.

During its mandate, the Advisory Committee on Homelessness will:

• explore in greater depth the ideas and the recommendations heard through the National Housing Strategy engagement process;
• undertake targeted engagement with homelessness experts and with communities and other stakeholders from across Canada;
• analyze specific options for the redesign of the HPS; and,
• provide the Minister with their findings.

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.

Through the HPS, qualified organizations and other eligible recipients 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;
• Rural and Remote Homelessness (non-designated communities); and
• Aboriginal Homelessness.

National projects

The national funding streams help to develop a better understanding of homelessness based on local data collection, and makes surplus federal real properties available to organizations that plan to use the facilities to address homelessness and enables the testing of innovative solutions to homelessness. 

• National Homelessness Information System;
• Surplus Federal Real Property Initiative; and
• Innovative Solutions to Homelessness.