The Government of Canada continues to support unsheltered homelessness response in Thunder Bay and Guelph

Press Release

From: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

Thunder Bay, March 19, 2025 — The federal government is allocating an additional $1 million to the Lakehead Social Planning Council in Thunder Bay and $500,000 to the County of Wellington in Guelph through the Designated Communities stream of Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. This brings the total allocation from 2019-20 through 2027-28 to $11.6 million for Thunder Bay, and $17.1 million for Guelph.

This much needed funding will be invested in services and supports that work with some of the most vulnerable in these communities to find suitable housing and address the systemic challenges that contribute to chronic homelessness.

Through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, the federal government is committed to preventing and reducing homelessness across the country in urban, Indigenous, rural, and remote communities.

Everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home, but far too many Canadians face the daily unacceptable reality of homelessness. The Government of Canada and its partners recognize the collective responsibility to develop and deliver community plans with clear outcomes that address local priorities designed to meet the needs of specific populations.

Quotes

“This investment makes sure that dollars that were going to lapse at the end of this fiscal could be repurposed to address high levels of homelessness in these two communities. These communities are responding with a variety of transitional supports and wrap around services that are helping people exit homelessness and find permanent housing, this is the goal.”

The Honourable Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“Everyone deserves a place to call home. This is why we are determined to build a Canada where homelessness is no longer an issue. These investments in Thunder Bay and Guelph will go a long way in ensuring that people in vulnerable conditions have the support they need .”

The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services

“We sincerely thank the federal government for this vital funding, which will make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals who are experiencing homelessness and those living in encampments. This support recognizes the urgent and challenging circumstances faced by those without stable housing and provides a critical step toward safer, more secure living environments. According to the 2024 Point in Time Count, 557 individuals in Thunder Bay were experiencing homelessness. As the Designated Community Entity for the local Reaching Home initiative, the Lakehead Social Planning Council collaborates directly with its indigenous counterpart – Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre. Our shared role is to collaborate collectively with community partners to address unsheltered homelessness and encampments, recognizing that this ongoing effort will require a sustained and multisectoral effort. We commend the Government of Canada for acknowledging the realities of homelessness and investing in solutions for our community that will promote dignity, stability, and hope for those in need.”

Marie Klassen, Executive Director, Lakehead Social Planning Council

“The County of Wellington appreciates the enhancement of $500,000 Reaching Home funding for 2024/25. This funding will be used towards our Winter Response Programme that, between October 2024 to January 2025, supported 78 unique individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness with a 24/7 single or couples temporary accommodations unit. Supported by agencies with a housing-focus lens, 20% of these individuals have obtained permanent housing. This funding will also support a local community initiative for coordinated outreach to encampments that includes training on reconciliation, equity, and inclusion for all encampment outreach team members.”

Luisa Artuso, Social Services Administrator, County of Wellington

Quick facts

• Reaching Home was launched in April 2019 and supports the goals of the government’s National Housing Strategy, as well as Solving the Housing Crisis: Canada’s Housing Plan. Those goals include: supporting the needs of the most vulnerable people in Canada; improving access to safe, stable and affordable housing, and reducing chronic homelessness.
• Reaching Home is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding and support to urban, Indigenous, territorial, rural, and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.
• Funding under this program is allocated to 64 Designated Communities (urban centres), three territorial capitals, 30 Indigenous communities, and rural and remote communities across Canada. The program also makes funding available to Indigenous partners to support distinctions-based approaches to homelessness services.
• Through Reaching Home, the federal government is already investing $5 billion over 9 years to address homelessness. Budget 2024 announced an additional $1 billion over four years starting in 2024-25 to stabilize funding under this program.

Associated links

• Solving the Housing Crisis: Canada’s Housing Plan
• Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy
• Canada’s National Housing Strategy
• Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada – Funding Delivered under the Investing in Canada Plan

Contacts
For more information (media only), please contact:

Sofia Ouslis
Press Secretary
Sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca
Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Media Relations
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154
Email: media@infc.gc.ca

Bonnie Krysowaty
Coordinator, Poverty Reduction Strategy
Researcher/Program Manager
Lakehead Social Planning Council
807-624-1725
bkrysowaty@lspc.ca

Dave Purdy
Housing Services Director
County of Wellington
davep@wellington.ca

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