CPJ Responds to the Announcement of Renewed Federal Funding for Affordable Housing and Homelessness Programs

On Wednesday, September 17, Human Resources and Social Development Minister Monte Solberg announced that the federal government was renewing funding for three national programs aimed at combating homelessness and providing affordable housing across Canada. The funding for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program and the Affordable Housing Initiative was set to expire in March 2009. These programs will now receive an additional $1.9 billion dollars over the next five years.

According to the Conservatives, while the announcement was made during the election campaign, the renewal of the housing programs was a federal government commitment made prior to the election.

CPJ was pleased to hear of this renewal, as we have for some time now joined with housing groups and concerned individuals across the country in calling for renewed funding. However, while this announcement ensures that federal support for existing housing programs will continue, these programs alone are not enough to adequately address the issue of housing and homelessness in Canada.

The extension of these programs does not represent any increase in funding over previous years, and does not take into account increases in housing costs and income insecurity which have led to a higher demand for affordable housing and rising levels of homelessness. The current renewal of funding does not reflect the magnitude of the issue and does not provide any additional support for a problem that affects one in four people in Canada.

There are four million Canadians that lack affordable or adequate housing and thousands more that are homeless. Evidently, the programs in place are not comprehensive or large enough to come close to effectively addressing our current housing crisis. Public justice calls us to question the structures in our society that deny people their right to live in dignity and have equal access to resources.

Current federal policy has directed a greater amount of attention to homelessness than to providing affordable housing. While addressing homelessness is a positive step, it reflects a tendency to use a “crisis management” approach that examines the issue on a short-term basis. A major contributing factor to homelessness is poverty. Income insecurity, rising cost of living, and lack of access to social services and affordable housing all contribute to homelessness in Canada. By supporting poverty reduction programs, governments in Canada can address one of the root causes of homelessness. Program funding that is targeted towards dealing with homelessness is not effective in the long term if it is being taken away from programs for affordable housing.

At the moment, provincial and municipal support for housing and homelessness programs varies significantly between provinces. British Columbia and Alberta, in particular, face rising numbers of homeless people and those who lack affordable housing. This will only worsen as preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics unfold. The Provincial-Territorial Housing Ministers have called for federal support, stating that they don’t have the resources to deal with housing on their own.

Federal support is needed to ensure Canadians have equal access to affordable housing, regardless of their income level or what region they live in. The renewal of federal funding for the existing housing and homelessness programs is a start. However, it is not enough to ensure that every Canadian has equal access to affordable housing and does not go homeless. All levels of government must work towards long-term strategic planning to address the housing crisis by focusing on the root causes, such as poverty. The federal government must take the initiative to ensure every Canadian has equal access to affordable housing.