In response to growing global economic uncertainty, the Government of Canada unveiled Budget 2025: Canada Strong, a strategic plan to transform the nation’s economy into one that is more self-sufficient, resilient, and less reliant on a single trade partner. The budget aims to enable $1 trillion in investments over the next five years, with a focus on infrastructure development, housing, and building stronger communities. Central to this plan is the Build Canada Homes initiative, which seeks to construct affordable housing at scale, including transitional and supportive housing, deeply affordable community housing, and homes for the middle class, addressing the full spectrum of housing needs across Canada.
As part of these efforts, the federal government is investing over $22.5 million in ten organizations across the country to prevent and reduce Veteran homelessness. Funded through the Veteran Homelessness Program (VHP), these projects aim to provide Veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness with safe and stable housing along with tailored support services, such as mental health and addiction care, employment assistance, and housing navigation. The initiative empowers community organizations to deliver localized solutions and reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that no Veteran is left behind.
The VHP currently funds 34 projects nationwide, organized under two streams: the Services and Supports Stream, which provides $72.9 million for rent supplements and wrap-around services, and the Capacity Building Stream, which allocates $6.2 million for research, data collection, and enhancing organizational capacity to deliver tailored services. With an estimated 461,240 Canadian Veterans, approximately 1,800 are currently experiencing homelessness, highlighting the importance of these programs in providing immediate relief and long-term support.
This investment forms part of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS), a 10-year, $115-billion-plus plan that builds strong partnerships with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, as well as private and public housing sectors, to expand access to affordable housing. Build Canada Homes, launched in September 2025, will work with Indigenous communities, municipalities, and other stakeholders to deliver transitional and supportive housing, with its first major investment of $1 billion targeting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Additionally, Budget 2025 includes plans to provide $184.9 million over four years, beginning in 2026-27, and $40.1 million ongoing to Veterans Affairs Canada, stabilizing the processing of disability benefits and modernizing operational and IT systems. These measures aim to improve the delivery of services to Veterans, complementing housing initiatives and ensuring broader social and economic support for those who served.
Overall, Canada’s approach combines national infrastructure and housing investments with targeted programs like the VHP to reduce Veteran homelessness, strengthen communities, and foster a more resilient, self-sufficient economy under Budget 2025: Canada Strong.
