The Government of Canada is taking decisive action to address the nation’s housing crisis and reduce homelessness by supporting faster, more affordable homebuilding. Through the newly launched Build Canada Homes, a federal agency designed to finance and construct affordable housing at scale, the government aims to transform the housing sector while providing immediate relief for those most in need. One of the agency’s first major commitments is a $1 billion investment to build transitional and supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, in collaboration with provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous partners.
In a significant step toward ending homelessness, the Government of Canada and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) announced a new partnership to take measurable, data-driven action in communities across the country. During the National Conference on Ending Homelessness, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson announced $7 million in federal funding through the Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund (HRIF). This funding will support 16 communities across Canada to implement innovative local solutions that measurably reduce homelessness.
Administered by the CAEH, the HRIF will invest $45 million over three years to help communities develop targeted, data-informed strategies for prevention and reduction. Early initiatives include creating prevention teams in Ontario, expanding housing supports in Alberta, and enhancing veteran-focused services in Windsor-Essex to reach functional zero veteran homelessness within a year. The CAEH will also provide coaching and share successful approaches to scale effective models nationwide.
These investments are part of the federal government’s broader $1 billion commitment to Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, alongside efforts to double the pace of housing construction over the next decade. The establishment of Build Canada Homes marks a bold federal commitment to ensure every Canadian has access to safe, affordable housing.
Minister Robertson emphasized that everyone deserves a safe place to live, and the government is focused on making meaningful, measurable progress in reducing homelessness. Tim Richter, President and CEO of the CAEH, added that this marks a crucial shift from managing homelessness to solving it, using real-time data and continuous improvement to identify and expand effective solutions.
Through these combined initiatives—spanning government, community organizations, service providers, and local partners—Canada is taking a united, evidence-based approach to ending chronic homelessness and ensuring long-term housing stability for its most vulnerable citizens.
