Housing and Municipal Affairs
From Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/housing-infrastructure-communities/news/2025/03/the-governments-of-canada-and-british-columbia-sign-an-agreement-to-address-homelessness.html
Today, the federal government and the Government of British Columbia announced that an agreement to support people experiencing homelessness, including sheltering in encampments, has been signed as part of the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI).
Funding will support the implementation of Community Encampment Response Plans (CERP) and immediately provide additional support to people living without homes. Each plan is tailored to the specific needs of a community and expands the work of the Province to implement key initiatives under Belonging in BC.
Through this agreement, over two years, the governments of Canada and British Columbia will each contribute up to $39.9 million, which will be made available in Vancouver, Abbotsford, and Kamloops. This is in addition to what the federal government is investing through the regionally delivered streams of Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, which includes over $638 million from 2019 to 2028 in British Columbia to address local homelessness needs.
Through this funding, the Province will continue to provide ongoing response and outreach to people experiencing homelessness and encampments through its Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART) and Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) programs. Since launching the homelessness response initiatives in 2023, the Province has partnered with 10 municipalities to open 15 HEARTH sites across B.C. for a total of 611 temporary supportive homes or shelter beds. The Province invested up to $1.5 billion through Budget 2023 in new initiatives to help prevent and reduce homelessness. These investments build on the $633 million the Province invested into actions to prevent and reduce homelessness.
This funding will help individuals and families transition into safer, more appropriate, and stable housing and shelter. Additionally, client support services will help improve integration and connectedness to essential services such as food programs, emergency shelters, transportation, healthcare, and disability support. It will also assist with economic, social, and cultural integration to help individuals access and retain stable housing. Other services and initiatives include coordinating resources and enhancing data collection and quality to improve service delivery.
Housing provides stability and security and serves as the foundation for overall well-being. Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to live.
Quotes:
“A safe place to call home is the foundation for a brighter future. Yet, homelessness continues to affect thousands of people across British Columbia, blocking their path to stability and opportunity. This funding will be a vital resource for communities in need, offering more than just shelter — it provides hope and the chance to rebuild. Beyond providing housing, it will provide essential support, life skills training, and access to healthcare, helping individuals and families regain their independence and build a more secure and promising future.”
— The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre
“We’re connecting people with the housing and supports they need to get on a better path and live full, healthy lives. The high cost of living and shortage of affordable housing have caused homelessness rates in BC and across the country to rise. We’re pleased to have the Government of Canada contribute to our Province’s work with local governments and community partners to address homelessness and build safer and stronger communities where all of us can thrive.”
— The Honourable Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs
Quick Facts:
- The Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI) will help reduce the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, particularly those living in encampments. It is based on the deployment of a Community Encampment Response Plan (CERP) in each targeted community, adopting an approach that promotes housing stability with support services to ensure the dignity of individuals.
- As part of Canada-British Columbia Agreement for this initiative, the federal and provincial governments are each providing up to $39.9 million, over two years, to support CERP activities in Vancouver, Abbotsford, and Kamloops.
- The Province, through BC Housing has provided funding for 6,742 shelter spaces in 59 communities throughout B.C. this fall and winter - a 20% increase in spaces available compared to last year this time.
- The Government of British Columbia put forward approximately $228 million over three years to help create regional multidisciplinary teams and temporary spaces through the Homeless Encampment Action Response Team and Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEART and HEARTH) to support rapid response for communities with substantive encampments in their area.
- The Provincial funding includes approximately $44 million of capital funding approved through Budget 2023 to help expand access to temporary supportive housing and shelter (HEARTH) and provide more on-site support for people sheltering in encampments, such as fire prevention, safety and outreach, while housing gets built.
- These investments build on the $633 million that B.C. invested into actions to prevent and reduce homelessness through Budget 2022, including the almost $4 million over three years to support people in encampments to stay safe, connect to supports and transition to housing.
- Since 2017, the Province of British Columbia has nearly 92,000 homes that have been delivered or underway.
- Federal funding provided for this agreement is part of a $250 million commitment, outlined in Budget 2024, to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness across Canada.
- The $250 million investment from the federal government is a tool to coordinate matching funds from provincial and territorial governments to address encampments throughout the country.
- The UHEI builds on existing programs like Reaching Home, through which the federal government is investing $5 billion over nine years to address homelessness across Canada.
- Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy supports the goals of Canada’s Housing Plan and the National Housing Strategy – to support the needs of the most vulnerable Canadians and to improve access to safe, stable and affordable housing.
- Since 2015, the federal government has helped almost two million Canadians find a place to call home.
