Government of Canada releases the Advisory Committee on Homelessness' Final Report and the Homelessness Partnering Strategy Engagement What We Heard Report 2018

Newswire.ca
May 18, 2018

One of the most important roles of the Government of Canada is to support vulnerable Canadians, including people who experience homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless. All Canadians need and deserve housing that is safe, adequate and affordable.

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced the release of the Advisory Committee on Homelessness - Final Report and the Homelessness Partnering Strategy Engagement - What We Heard Report 2018.

The Government of Canada launched an engagement process in 2017 to provide advice on how to improve the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS). As part of a broader engagement strategy to reach Canadians, Minister Duclos created the Advisory Committee on Homelessness in June 2017 to provide advice on the redesign of the HPS. Chaired by Parliamentary Secretary Adam Vaughan (Housing and Urban Affairs), the Committee was composed of 13 leaders and experts in the field of homelessness from across the country who represented diverse regions and cultures, Indigenous people, Canada's two official languages, and people who have lived experience of homelessness.

During the summer and fall of 2017, members of the Committee engaged a diverse group of Canadians across the country including experts, communities, organizations, people with lived experience of homelessness and Indigenous organizations through a series of 10 roundtables. Based on its deliberations and feedback received throughout engagement activities, the Committee delivered its final report to the Minister in spring 2018. The Advisory Committee on Homelessness - Final Report outlines 53 specific recommendations to provide advice to the Government of Canada for the redesign of the federal homelessness program and, more generally, to tackle homelessness in Canada.

The Government of Canada also launched an online feedback survey open to all Canadians and organizations to gather ideas and suggestions on how to prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada. The Homelessness Partnering Strategy Engagement - What We Heard Report 2018 contains highlights from the feedback received throughout all engagement activities undertaken in 2017.

The feedback received through all engagement activities will provide advice to the Government of Canada on the new federal homelessness program, which will be launched in the spring.

Quotes

"I am pleased with the valuable advice received over the course of this consultation period. The Government of Canada recognizes the pressing need to prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada. I want to thank the Advisory Committee on Homelessness and the Canadians from across the country who took the time to provide thoughtful input that will help us to design a new federal homelessness program."
- The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"I want to thank the many Canadians from across the country who took time to engage with the Advisory Committee on Homelessness. Your input has been thoughtful, heartfelt and, above all, smart. It is clear from virtually every community that we must build on the good work already being done and do more."
- Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Quick Facts

• As part of the National Housing Strategy, the Government announced a total investment of $2.2 billion for homelessness over 10 years, building on Budget 2016 funding of $111.8 million over two years. By 2021–22, this will nearly double the investments made in 2015–16.

• Over the past year, the Government of Canada consulted with stakeholders, provinces, territories and Indigenous partners on how the Homelessness Partnering Strategy can be redesigned to better prevent and reduce homelessness across Canada. These consultations were guided by the work of an Advisory Committee of experts and stakeholders in the field of homelessness, and chaired by Parliamentary Secretary Adam Vaughan (Housing and Urban Affairs).

• Over the summer and fall of 2017, Parliamentary Secretary Adam Vaughan and the members of the Advisory Committee on Homelessness held 10 roundtables to talk to stakeholders, Indigenous partners and people who experienced homelessness from across the country to explore ways in which the federal homelessness program could be expanded and strengthened.

• From July 17 to September 15, 2017, the Government of Canada launched an online feedback survey open to all Canadians and organizations to gather their views on how to prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada.

• To give more Canadians access to housing that is safe, adequate and affordable, the Government launched the National Housing Strategy in fall 2017. It is expected that this strategy will help thousands of Canadian households in need find housing that meets these criteria.

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For further information: For media enquiries, please contact: Émilie Gauduchon-Campbell, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, 819-654-5546; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca