Today, Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities announced the Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund, a $50 million fund to help communities develop innovative projects to prevent homelessness and accelerate new homes for people currently experiencing homelessness.
The funding is part of the federal government's $1 billion commitment to Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy, that was announced in Budget 2024.
The Minister announced this initiative at the annual Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness Conference (CAEH) in Ottawa. Through CAEH, funds will be distributed to communities to help channel investments into targeted, data-informed projects that reduce homelessness. The CAEH will offer one-on-one guidance and coaching to communities on their initiatives and share successful approaches with other communities across the country.
Further acknowledging the importance of partnerships in combatting homelessness, Minister Fraser also announced that the CAEH will receive more than $1.3 million in funding from the Veteran Homelessness Program to support their work with 26 communities working to end homelessness for Veterans through their Built for Zero Canada program. To date, three Built for Zero Canada communities have achieved functional zero Veteran homelessness: London, Ontario, St. Thomas-Elgin, Ontario and Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Eliminating chronic homelessness will take a coordinated effort. The federal government is committed to helping our most vulnerable and to working with communities and partners, including Veteran organizations, Indigenous partners, and housing providers to maintain safe, stable and affordable housing and eliminate chronic homelessness across the country.
