‘We can get it done’: Liberal MP touts Carney’s plan to end homelessness in 10 years
As part of Thursday's federal budget announcement, the federal government pledged to end homelessness in 10 years across Canada.
The Liberal government unveiled a $11.2 billion plan to combat homelessness across Canada over the next four years, with the goal of ending it within a decade. Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized the ambitious nature of the initiative, stating that it requires substantial investments and collaboration with various levels of government, cities, provinces, and philanthropic organizations.
In Toronto, this partnership is taking form in the Regent Park neighborhood. Toronto-Danforth Liberal MP Julie Dabrusin acknowledged the challenges but reiterated the commitment to the "right things" rather than easy solutions. Toronto has been facing a skyrocketing homelessness crisis, with the number of people living on the streets more than doubling between 2021 and 2024, surpassing 15,000.
Mayor Olivia Chow urged Ontario's provincial government to collaborate with the federal government to provide wraparound services, including health and mental health support, which falls under provincial jurisdiction. Currently, an estimated 65,000 Canadians are homeless, a figure that has risen by 59% since 2020, and the rate among Indigenous people is alarmingly high at over one in four.
Canada had previously committed to halving chronic homelessness by 2027-28, but the situation has worsened instead.
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