Backgrounder: Additional funding under the Canada–Quebec Reaching Home agreement to assist people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless

Today, the governments of Canada and Quebec announced that, beginning in 2022–23, an additional $84,580,673 in federal funding over two years will be made available to communities in Quebec through an amendment to the Canada–Quebec Agreement on Reaching Home 2019–2024 (Reaching Home Agreement) as part of Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. This is in addition to the regular funding provided through the Reaching Home Agreement. The goal is to extend COVID-19 measures in the homeless-serving sector and help communities continue their efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness in the long term.

Since 2001, the governments of Canada and Quebec have entered into successive agreements to jointly implement federal programs aimed at supporting community homelessness prevention and reduction projects.

Since April 1, 2019, Reaching Home has been implemented primarily through the following three Canada–Quebec agreements, which align with the jurisdictions and priorities of both governments with respect to preventing and reducing homelessness:

1. The Canada–Quebec Agreement on Reaching Home 2019–2024 offers approximately $172 million in funding over five years to implement the Designated Communities, Rural and Remote Homelessness, and Community Capacity and Innovation funding streams.
2. The Agreement to Implement the Reaching Home Community Capacity and Innovation Funding Stream in Quebec offers approximately $2.8 million in funding over three years for analysis and consultation activities in designated communities that lead to the design of a coordinated access model that is consistent with Quebec’s priorities.
3. The Canada–Quebec Agreement to support the homeless-serving sector’s response to COVID-19 under Reaching Home offered over $119 million in funding in 2020–21 and 2021–22 to support communities during the pandemic.

Reaching Home supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy, in particular that of helping the most vulnerable Canadians maintain safe, stable and affordable housing.

In total, Canada is making over $258 million in funding available over five years to communities in Quebec from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2024. This includes the $2 million allocated to Montreal at the start of the pandemic under the Canada–Quebec Agreement on Reaching Home 2019–2024.