Federal Government Unveils Plan to End Homelessness in Canada Within 10 Years
The federal government has announced a plan backed by nearly $30 billion to end homelessness in Canada within a decade, drawing support from municipal leaders in British Columbia who stress the need for intergovernmental cooperation.
The federal government has announced a plan to end homelessness in Canada within 10 years. According to CBC News, the Liberal budget delivered on Thursday set aside an initial $11.2 billion over the next four years toward this goal. A separate Government of Canada news release dated November 7, 2026, detailed a larger initiative under Budget 2026 backed by nearly $30 billion.
Secretary of State (Seniors) Stephanie McLean highlighted the Budget 2026 homelessness plan at the Cridge Village Seniors’ Centre in Victoria on November 7, 2026. Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, who previously served as mayor of Vancouver, also addressed the plan during a speech in Winnipeg on Friday. Robertson made a similar pledge to end homelessness while serving as Vancouver's mayor in 2008 but was unable to fulfill it, citing a lack of coordinated federal and provincial investment.
Budget 2026 allocates funding across several specific programs. It designates $10 billion through Build Canada Homes to support the delivery of approximately 25,000 supportive and transitional homes. Another $6.5 billion is allocated to renew the Reaching Home Initiative and support veteran homelessness, while $5.5 billion will renew the Canada Housing Benefit to provide direct monthly rental assistance to low-income Canadians. The budget also includes $5 billion for a new Integrated Supports Fund to build facilities combining housing, health care, and social services, and $2 billion for the Build Communities Strong Fund’s Health Infrastructure Fund to build and refurbish mental health and addictions treatment facilities.
Municipal leaders in British Columbia expressed support for the federal goal. Newly elected Vancouver Mayor Pete Fry described the pledge as "aspirational, but very possible" and committed to reversing former mayor Ken Sim's freeze on new supportive housing. Metro Vancouver's 2025 Point-in-Time Homeless Count estimated more than 5,200 unhoused people in the region, with more than 2,700 in Vancouver itself.
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto agreed that ending homelessness is "absolutely" possible if senior levels of government cooperate with municipalities and provide sufficient resources. Alto spoke at a news conference on July 2, 2025, regarding local efforts such as Victoria's Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, which could be integrated with federal funding.
Dean Kurpjuweit, president of the United Gospel Mission, expressed hope regarding the announcement but raised concerns about long-term sustainability. He feared that provincial operating funds might not match the federal capital investments required to maintain the planned facilities.