The Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Ahmed Hussen, today issued the following statement regarding the release of the report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of Canada on Chronic Homelessness:
"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home, but for too many, including those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and Veterans, this still isn't a reality.
"I would like to thank the Auditor General for the performance audit of Chronic Homelessness in Canada. The Government of Canada welcomes the report and will be studying the findings and recommendations closely.
"Homelessness is a top priority for our Government to address, and it has therefore committed to continuing to work with partners and communities to prevent and reduce homelessness across the country.
"That is why, in 2017, we launched the National Housing Strategy (NHS), the first of its kind in Canadian history, with funding and investments of more than $72 billion over 10 years. In addition, in April 2019, we launched Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy, a key program under Canada's first NHS. Reaching Home is investing nearly $4 billion over nine years in direct funding and supports to prevent and reduce homelessness across the country, with funding available to Indigenous partners to support distinctions-based approaches to homelessness services.
"The Auditor General's report outlines that despite the programs and services brought forward by our government, more needs to be done to support communities in collecting data and strengthening coordination. To that end, our Government has committed to the following:
- Continue implementing coordinated access and timely collection and reporting of homelessness data through the Results Reporting Online system (RROL) introduced in early 2022.
- Infrastructure Canada (INFC) communities and partners will work to address the adoption and implementation of coordinated access barriers, improve the timeliness and accuracy of reporting processes related to Reaching Home program outcomes.
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and INFC will formalize collaboration to align, coordinate, and integrate efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness and chronic homelessness. This will include formal collaboration with federal partners such as Veterans Affairs Canada.
- CMHC and INFC will work with other departments to enhance accountability and approaches for the achievement of the NHS' target to reduce chronic homelessness.
- CMHC will further define and analyze the housing need of vulnerable populations, understand who is being assisted within its units, and measure how its programs are meeting these needs.
"Again, I want to thank the Office of the Auditor General for its report and recommendations, which will guide the work ahead."
