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Please see message below on behalf of Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness:
Yesterday, we launched the next action in our campaign to pressure the federal government to implement the Homelessness Prevention and Housing Benefit in the upcoming federal budget.
We are calling on our supporters to send messages to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, urging them to apply pressure on the federal Liberals to include this vital benefit in the next budget. This plan has the potential to save lives and bring positive change in a time of crisis.
The cost of living is at an all-time high and many are struggling to make ends meet. For more and more people, an unexpected expense could be the very thing that pushes them into homelessness. No one should have to decide between putting food on the table or paying for rent, but that is the reality for many—and for those who are already homeless, the situation is becoming even more dire.
Could you help us voice these concerns and push the government to protect those who are already, or on the brink of, experiencing homelessness?
Your voices are already making an impact. Thanks to over 2,300 of your messages, decision-makers in Ottawa are not only taking notice, but they're also interested in learning more. This is why it's crucial to increase the pressure during this window of opportunity while the policy is being considered.
The federal government can stop this wave if they choose to and your call to political leaders can make it impossible for them to ignore the need for a homeless relief fund that would provide a stable home for up to 435,000 people living in Canada.
Once you've added your voice to the conversation, be sure to share it with your friends and family so they can also call for action. Together, we can pressure political leaders to protect hundreds of thousands of people in Canada from losing their homes.
Don't miss the chance to join the conversation and make homelessness a priority in Budget 2023
Right now, pre-budget consultations are taking place. As Canada faces a new wave of homelessness, it's more important than ever to join these conversations, share your ideas—and help shape Budget 2023 by ensuring housing is on the agenda.
Join the conversation by taking five minutes to complete an anonymous pre-budget questionnaire or by uploading a submission and include the urgent need for a Homelessness Prevention and Housing Benefit (HPHB)—a benefit that would keep hundreds of thousands of people living in Canada in their homes and support tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness back into housing—as part of your recommended priorities for the government’s upcoming budget.
A Portrait of Homelessness Amongst Gender-Diverse People in Canada
The multiple, intersecting forms of violence and exclusion downloaded onto gender-diverse people represent a pattern—one that is individual in appearance but systemic in nature.
Last month, the Women's National Housing and Homelessness Network (WNHHN) released two reports examining the unique barriers that two-spirit, non-binary, and gender-diverse people face in accessing adequate housing.
Their research explores the ways in which Canada’s housing and homelessness sector frequently marginalizes, undermines, and discriminates against those who do not adhere to strict binary notions of gender and offers a starting point for mapping a rights-based path forward.
Some Homeless Encampments Can Stay, but the Underlying Issues Remain
One apparent consequence of the pandemic is that homelessness and housing precarity has become more prevalent in cities across Canada. As a result, there has been a rise in the number of people living in homeless encampments.
President and CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, Tim Richter, was featured in the New York Times last week, noting how the crisis continues to disproportionately affect low-income people.
“People that I talk to who have been doing this work for 20 years are saying it’s never been this bad,” says Richter. “Not just in terms of numbers but in terms of the condition that people are in.”
While three separate court rulings in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario have confirmed that residents have the right to remain in these encampments and cannot be forced to leave, not one of the three decisions contained any orders to force governments to provide more permanent housing solutions.
While the CAEH welcomes the court's recognition of the rights of homeless people, more accountability and action is needed from all levels of government if we want to see an end to homelessness in Canada once and for all.
Why Community Land Trusts are a critical piece of the puzzle in securing long-term affordable housing
This week, we're joined by Joshua Barndt, the Executive Director of The Neighbourhood Land Trust and the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust. Joshua is a Community Land Trust specialist who has acted as the Executive Director of Parkdale’s Neighborhood Land Trust since 2015. In this capacity, he has led the organization through its early development, charitable registration, as well as the implementation of the Land Trust’s first four acquisition projects.
In this week's podcast, we discuss how Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are an important piece of the puzzle in securing long-term affordable housing. Joshua shares how he and his team built up their impactful CLTs, and how others can start or build up theirs. You don't want to miss it!
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