The听2017听National Housing Strategy (NHS)听is set to expire in 2027/28.听Discussions are happening now on what听a听future national housing strategy should look like.听The听Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness has developed听a听five-point plan that听can deliver听housing security for hundreds of thousands of low-income Canadians on the verge of losing their homes,听and achieve significant, visible reductions in homelessness within the next听five听years.听
To seize that opportunity, we听have to听understand why the last strategy听failed to听stem听the听surging tide of homelessness听we鈥檝e听seen听since听it was introduced.听The听expiring听NHS听faced unexpected听headwinds听as听rising cost of living听and听global economic turmoil听drove homelessness听to record levels.听But the strategy also had design issues that we can learn from, like听the听lack of an embedded听homelessness听strategy听and the emphasis on outputs听instead of outcomes听(e.g.听total听units created instead of听reducing听homelessness).听听
The next national housing strategy is not the moment for small steps;听it91原创听the moment to deliver.听We know what works. The evidence is clear, the tools exist, and the will is building.听What91原创听needed now is federal leadership, and partnership with all levels of government, to bring it all together at the scale and with the urgency that the crisis demands.听听
To deliver for Canadians, here are five things the federal government should include in the next national housing strategy:听
1. Create a housing safety net: Improve the Canada Housing Benefit to prevent homelessness.听
Right now,听more than听750,000 households听in our country听鈥� nearly听one million Canadians听–听are at imminent risk of homelessness due to high rent,听low听vacancy,听low income, and soaring cost of living,听based on new analysis听of听the minimum income that households听need听to meet their basic needs.听
Homelessness has nearly doubled since 2018,听and many people experiencing homelessness cannot afford to rent even the cheapest units in their community.听Building new affordable housing is听the听permanent听solution to homelessness, but new听homes听take years before people can move in, and we need to听support people now, while those new homes are built.听听
The federal government already has a tool that can be re-imagined听to do听just that. The听Canada Housing Benefit was introduced as part of the听last听National Housing Strategy,听to听support听low-income renters to help them stay housed. But as it currently stands, it doesn鈥檛 reach the people most at risk,听the amounts are too small to close the gap between what low-income renters earn and what housing actually costs, and it91原创 inconsistent across provinces听鈥撎齭o听support varies by where people live.听
As the federal government听negotiates听the next version of a听national housing strategy,听a听transformed听Canada Housing Benefit听can听be听the single most powerful听tool for rapid homelessness prevention听at their disposal.听That means a housing safety net听that:听
- Meaningfully supports听the lowest-income听renters听by ensuring that those who receive the benefit are most at risk of homelessness, based on a new approach听鈥撎�撎齮hat takes into account someone91原创 ability to pay for basic necessities as well as their housing costs.听
- Is tied to the person instead of to a unit, which听provides important flexibility听(and听does not require听disclosure听to听landlords,听to avoid rent inflation);听and听
- Provides consistent support for Canadians in every province and territory, based on clear national standards.听
In a new report, CAEH worked with 听to analyse the current Benefit and听determine听the impact of an improved benefit听focused on preventing and reducing homelessness.听By听modeling the impact in听key听regional centres,听we found this听approach听could reduce homelessness听by as much as 63%听within two years听of implementation.听听
Creating听a housing safety net through听a听transformed Canada Housing Benefit is the best听way听we can make听rapid听progress on homelessness and housing need听while the longer-term work of building听more affordable听housing听continues.听
Email your MP now to call for a transformed Canada Housing Benefit.
2. Invest in deeply affordable and supportive housing听
Canada needs more housing, but not all housing听works for all Canadians.听Landmark federal听homebuilding programs under the expiring National Housing Strategy听largely听failed to reach Canadians听experiencing or at the greatest risk of homelessness, delivering investments based on inconsistent definitions of affordability, in most cases听linked to the housing market instead of what people could actually afford to听spend.听
Deeply affordable听housing听needs to be affordable听for the lowest-income Canadians at听30% of their gross income听鈥� a commonly accepted听measure of affordability that听understands people听need听something听left over听after rent听for other basic needs like groceries,听transportation,听utilities, and medication.听As听the cost of many of these basic goods听and services听continue to rise,听unaffordable rent is听forcing impossible choices听and听contributing to the rise of听homelessness.听
Right now,听Canada is听lagging behind听our international partners in terms of the percentage of housing stock that91原创 considered social housing. Other nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)听听of their housing stock identified as social housing, while Canada is only at 3.5%.听Closing this gap is听an important听step听to听increase听rental options and affordability听for听the long term.听
The next national housing听strategy听should include听a dedicated plan听to at least double听Canada91原创 current听social听housing stock听and听dedicated investment to听expand deeply affordable and supportive housing:听
- Create 575,000 units of听additional听social housing听to听;听
- Create听30,000听to听50,000 units听of听supportive housing,听which can include听both place-based supportive housing听as well as听funding for听Housing First scattered听site approaches听in partnership with provinces and territories;听
- Establish an Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy;
- Repair and听maintain听existing affordable housing.听
To achieve听this听rapid expansion of听deeply affordable and supportive housing,听Canada will need a sustainable funding听system听that includes non-governmental听financing, drawing on proven models from other countries.听For more听on this,听see the听analysis and听recommendations听from the National Housing Council听in听their听.听
3. Establish intensive supportive housing for people with severe cognitive impairment听
There isn鈥檛 currently an appropriate housing solution for a small but growing number of people living with the most acute and complex health challenges 鈥� severe, permanent brain injuries and cognitive impairment from head trauma, opioid overdoses, or serious mental illness 鈥� often compounded over years. 听
Right now, people experiencing homelessness who have lost the capacity to reliably take medications, keep appointments, or maintain a tenancy are locked in a cycle between the street, emergency rooms, shelters, and jail 鈥� denying them safety and stability and straining communities, all at incredible cost to our public systems. Any other Canadian with the same level of impairment, like those with Alzheimer91原创 or dementia, would have access to long-term care for permanent, individualized support.听听听
Intensive Housing听is听the听equivalent of long-term care for听people who need听24/7 supervised care, nursing support, medication, and structured daily support built around clinical need and human dignity.听
The next听national housing strategy should:听
- Invest $2 billion in capital funding to build听a minimum of 6,000听Intensive Housing units across Canada;听and听
- Establish a funding framework to听operate听these units, developed with provinces and territories, who deliver health and social services on the ground.听听
Meaningful investments in听Intensive Housing听would fill a critical gap in our housing system and support the health and wellbeing of听individuals and communities.听
4. Build a National Homelessness Strategy 听
The current National Housing Strategy听didn鈥檛听include听a strategy for the prevention,听reduction听and elimination of homelessness.听Without听that听national plan, communities across the country are听stuck managing crisis after crisis听with limited resources, negotiating piecemeal with federal and provincial/territorial counterparts,听instead of moving forward on shared goals with support for actual听solutions.听And without a strong homelessness strategy and clear reduction targets, federal, provincial/territorial听and municipal investments听can鈥檛听be aligned.听With the National Housing Strategy up for renewal,听that听has to听change.听
Canada already ends homelessness rapidly every year 鈥� when people with housing lose their homes through natural disaster. We should follow a similar approach听with a strong focus on local leadership, supported by senior government, that is driven by data and continuous improvement. Importantly, the approach in a natural disaster focuses on getting people into a safe place and听back into their homes as quickly as possible, while putting in place prevention measures to stop the natural disaster from making people homeless again.听
A National Homelessness Strategy, embedded in the new housing strategy,听means:听
- Clearly defining Canada91原创 approach to homelessness, rooted in solving, not听just听managing it;听
- A dynamic, adaptive听approach听with clear targets, shared outcomes, and accountability for results;听
- An听initial听focus on reducing unsheltered,听chronic听and veteran听homelessness;听
- Housing investment is aligned with the homelessness reduction goal, with specific support for deeply affordable, supportive and Intensive Housing.听
- A听model听that lets communities lead, using听timely听data that听knows every person experiencing homelessness and their needs,听coordinates collective action across local systems, and grows more effective every day at reducing homelessness;听
- Re-imagining Reaching Home as an听outcomes听focused,听flexible, data-driven community systems program tied to measurable reduction targets;听
- Funding for shelter transformation, veteran homelessness听reduction听and听unsheltered homelessness听resolution programs;听
- An expanded Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund to support communities to rapidly听achieve听homelessness reduction projects in the field;听
- Aligning the homelessness strategy with the Canada Housing Accord, Build Canada Homes, the Canada Housing Benefit, and other federal investments in supportive housing, Indigenous听housing听and encampment resolution. 听
5. Lay the Foundation for Change with Team Canada: Negotiate a Canada Housing Accord 听
When a听natural听disaster strikes Canada, all levels of government pull together.听Communities lead, and senior governments support in their areas of听jurisdiction.听The homelessness crisis is the same level of听emergency,听and it deserves the same response. In听too many cases, when one order of听government stepped听up听on housing听or homelessness, another stepped back.听Perhaps听the听clearest example of this was听supportive housing,听where听success requires听both federal听investment in capital costs and听provincial/territorial听health and social services.听Without听shared commitments听and clear roles vital projects听founder,听no matter how great the need.听
The next National Housing Strategy should take听a better approach, one听that91原创听happened before with health care and听childcare听negotiations. By听establishing听shared goals, timelines,听accountability听and role clarity,听we听can听coordinate听efforts听and听get everyone听working together听for听a Canada where everyone has a safe place to call home.听听
A Canada Housing Accord is a negotiated, intergovernmental agreement that:听
- Establishes shared national principles on housing and homelessness;听
- Sets clear, measurable, time-bound outcomes that all governments commit to achieving;听
- Defines the roles and responsibilities of federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments听reducing overlap, red听tape听and听costly delays;听
- Ties federal transfers to provincial commitments and accountability requirements;听
- Aligns housing investment听to achieve a homelessness reduction aims;听
- Creates a data-sharing framework to track progress and听embeds continuous improvement.听
As part of a new national housing strategy, the federal government should commit to negotiating a Canada Housing Accord with provinces and territories. By clarifying roles, targets, and commitments up-front, a Canada Housing Accord is the foundation that makes everything else possible.听听 听
Read more about the Canada Housing Accord听here.听
The Bottom Line听
Instead of allowing the lethal trajectory of homelessness to continue, Canada can build a better approach that will deliver meaningful reductions we will feel and see听in just five years. We know what works听and will is building to deliver on the transformational shift to rapidly reduce homelessness and fix the housing crisis.听
Over the coming weeks听we鈥檒l听be laying out more detail on each of these听pillars,听launching groundbreaking research that听shows why these measures are so important, and bringing听together Canadians to听make their voices heard by our government leaders.听
Don鈥檛听miss it. 听
Homelessness ends when听every Canadian has a place to call home.鈥�91原创 to End Homelessness is the catalyst鈥痶hat91原创鈥痷niting communities, governments, and鈥痶ens of thousands of听Canadians鈥痶o make that happen.鈥��听