Calgary, Alberta – The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, alongside Tim Richter, President and CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH), today announced that CAEH will receive $1.8 million in funding through the Innovative Solutions to Homelessness stream of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS). The funds will help CAEH to implement their innovative training and technical assistance initiative.
The training program, complete with online tools and curriculum, is designed to help HPS designated communities successfully implement and operate Housing First programs. The project builds on work completed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and will use a “train the trainer” model, through which community experts will be recruited and trained as consultants.
The investment will support HPS designated communities over a period of almost three years through training and technical assistance tailored to their specific needs and capacity, which will provide them with the flexibility needed to prevent and reduce homelessness within their regions.
Quotes
“Our government is proud to support organizations like the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, which are taking concrete innovative approaches to help communities reduce homelessness. This training initiative is a great example of what can be accomplished by working in partnership towards the same goal, and by encouraging organizations to continue to explore innovative ways to address specific homeless populations.”
– The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
“Housing First is one of the most important innovations in Canadian homelessness policy in decades. While Canada is only the second country in the world to adopt Housing First nationally, we’ve learned that training is critical to success. Today’s announcement is a smart and timely investment in developing the skills of our housing workforce to the benefit of our most vulnerable neighbours and ultimately toward ending homelessness in Canada.”
– Tim Richter, President and CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
“We commend the Federal Government for their continued investment in Housing First, and for recognizing the value of supporting implementation through training and technical assistance. We are thrilled that the MHCC’s very successful Training and Technical Assistance program will be continued through the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness’ leadership.”
– Louise Bradley, President and CEO Mental Health Commission of Canada
Quick Facts
- The Government of Canada is investing an additional $111.8 million over two years in the Homelessness Partnering Strategy to provide more communities across Canada with the flexibility and support they need to help prevent and reduce homelessness. More than $12.5 million of that new funding is being invested in the Innovative Solutions to Homelessness stream.
- The Innovative Solutions to Homelessness funding stream supports the development of innovative approaches to reducing homelessness—particularly among specific homeless populations such as Indigenous Canadians, youth, women fleeing violence and veterans.
- Since the launch of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, nearly 35,000 Canadians who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless have benefitted from education and training opportunities; over 34,000 have received help to find work; more than 6,000 new shelter beds have been created; and the program has helped place over 82,000 people in more stable housing.