OTTAWA - Canada’s government has committed $526 million to combat homelessness and extend funding for renovation programs.The Honourable Diane Finley, minister of human resources and social development, announced $526 million for the new homelessness partnering strategy (HPS), a strategy aimed at combating homelessness in communities across Canada and extending CMHC’s renovation programs.

The new Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) will be funded at $270 million over two years.

The new Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) includes:

• Consulting with stakeholders from the private and non-profit sectors and listening to their concerns;


• Partnering with the provinces and territories in the new year to determine how funding will be effectively allocated across Canada, thereby addressing the unique needs of many Canadian communities similar to the Canada-Quebec Agreement model;


• Providing greater access to support networks appropriate to individual needs of homeless people (such as skills training, health and substance abuse treatment) to help them attain self-sufficiency and full participation in Canadian society;


• Requiring that funding be specifically targeted at the development of transitional and supportive housing; and


• Tracking progress in the prevention and reduction of homelessness.

“This announcement will help The Salvation Army give hope today and everyday by investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in communities across Canada,” said Commissioner of The Salvation Army, Christine MacMillan. “We are extremely grateful fbr the generous support of the federal government and we value this partnership and their commitment to supporting vulnerable Canadians.”