As the wave of new homelessness accelerates across Canada, the 2024 federal budget must address the immediate challenges faced by Canadians experiencing homelessness and those at risk of losing their homes, while building the long-term solutions that fix the housing and affordability crises driving this intolerable suffering.
Homelessness continues to rise across Canada, driven by inflation and rising housing costs. An estimated 265,000 to 300,000 Canadians experience homelessness every year. That’s the equivalent of all of Saskatoon or Gatineau experiencing homelessness each year.
The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness is calling on the federal government to make the upcoming budget a Housing Budget, by urgently developing a real strategy to end homelessness, and fixing the housing crisis.
Join the movement to end homelessness and let's build a better budget for housing.
In a sample of nine communities that collect person-specific data on homelessness each month, homelessness has increased by 52% on average from before the pandemic to December 2023. While some of these communities have managed to reduce homelessness, some have seen growth of 131%.
Without immediate action, homelessness will only continue to grow.
The federal government — and all political parties — are talking a big game on housing. This federal budget is the opportunity to turn the situation around and the last meaningful opportunity where policy can be implemented before the next federal election.
Here are six steps they can take, as part of a new federal strategy to end homelessness, to address the immediate crisis while building to end the housing crisis:
Implement the recommendations of the National Housing Accord, to restore affordability to the rental housing market, especially the creation of 655,000 units of non-profit and deeply affordable housing.
Create the Homelessness Prevention and Housing Benefit paid directly to those in need of support to help people at risk of homelessness afford their real rents and to support those experiencing homelessness leave the streets.
Roll out an Encampment Response Program, to rapidly respond to people living in encampments and help them into appropriate, safe and secure housing.
Extend and expand the Reaching Home program which provides essential funding directly to communities across the country. Currently, funding expires in the next few years.
Develop a comprehensive Refugee and Asylum Seeker Resettlement Program that ensures those fleeing from their own countries don't end up in the municipal homeless shelter systems.
Create a Homelessness Reduction Accelerator Fund, to help communities clear obstacles and accelerate progress in ending homelessness.
Take Action
Send a letter to the editor to Build a Better Housing Budget
Dites-le au gouvernement : il faut un meilleur budget pour le logement
Send an Email to Party Leaders and Housing Critics to Build a Better Housing Budget
