Canada Needs to Act Now
Changing one tool could cut homelessness by 60%, but we need your help.
New analysis shows that transforming the Canada Housing Benefit into a true housing safety net can reduce homelessness by over 60% and deliver housing stability for hundreds of thousands of Canadians.
This is the fastest, most effective way the government has to reduce homelessness at scale, and with the current National Housing Strategy expiring in 2027/28, the moment to act is now. This would close the gap between income and what it takes to afford the basics, so people most at risk of losing their homes don’t have to choose between putting food on the table or making rent each month.
Under the last strategy, homelessness kept surging. That’s why we’re calling for a reimagined Canada Housing Benefit, and four other critical actions:
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Invest in deeply affordable and supportive housing.
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Deliver 5,500 Intensive Housing units for people with the most significant and complex health challenges, to fill a critical gap in our system.
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Integrate a National Homelessness Strategy.
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Negotiate the Canada Housing Accord.
This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity for us to shape what happens next. We need to make sure the government hears us loud and clear.
The next national housing strategy is a moment to deliver. The evidence is clear, the tools exist, and the will is building. We need federal leadership, and partnership with all levels of government to bring it all together at the scale and with the urgency that this crisis demands.
Everyone in Canada deserves a safe place to call home – and now’s our chance to make it happen.
You can read about all of CAEH’s policy recommendations here.