Every Canadian deserves a safe, affordable place to call home, but far too many Canadians face uncertain living conditions and homelessness, and the COVID‑19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation of those who are most vulnerable. The governments of Canada and Quebec recognize that we share a collective responsibility to respond to this crisis.
Today, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, and Lionel Carmant, Quebec's Minister for Health and Social Services, announced that additional federal funding of more than $84 million over two years, as of 2022-2023, has been made available to communities in Quebec through the amendment of the 2019-2024 Canada-Quebec Reaching Home Agreement, under the program Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy. This additional funding is on top of the regular funding already set out in the Reaching Home Agreement.
The Government of Canada has almost doubled its investments in Reaching Home, going from more than $2 billion over nine years to nearly $4 billion since its launch.
In Quebec, Reaching Home is primarily implemented through Canada-Quebec agreements that respect the jurisdiction and priorities of both governments in preventing and reducing homelessness. To date, the program has helped 40,000 Quebecers receive services that have prevented them from becoming homeless or have helped them find housing. Reaching Home has also funded education programs, vocational programs and social integration activities.
In accordance with the Agreement Amending the 2019-2024 Canada-Quebec Reaching Home Agreement, integrated health and social services centres will continue to manage the funding available in their jurisdiction while benefitting from the flexibility they need to meet priorities in order to deal with regional issues.
The additional federal funding supports the organizations as they respond to community priorities, such as reducing overcrowding in shelters, offering permanent housing solutions or temporarily providing direct medical services. This allows the organizations to support and expand the services they offer to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
The Reaching Home program supports the objectives of the National Housing Strategy by helping the most vulnerable Canadians and Quebecers maintain safe, stable and affordable housing and by reducing chronic homelessness across Canada.
