Ottawa's $29B plan to end homelessness in 10 years puts treatment alongside housing
Prime Minister Mark Carney's 2026 budget sets a 10-year goal, with $11.2B over four years from 2027/28 and $17.8B over the six years after, for housing construction and specialized care facilities.
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Ottawa's 2026 budget puts $2.36 billion toward ending homelessness in Canada in 2027/28, the first year of a $29 billion, 10-year plan. Prime Minister Mark Carney's government says the plan pairs housing construction with new specialized health care facilities for people with complex needs, along with rental housing assistance and other community supports.
The spending climbs to $3.62 billion in 2028/29, then holds at $2.62 billion in each of 2029/30 and 2030/31. In total, the budget sets aside $11.2 billion over four years and $17.8 billion over the six years after.
Under the plan, the federal government would help pay the upfront capital cost of building the facilities. Provinces would be expected to fund their ongoing operations and the services residents need to avoid homelessness. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, presenting the budget, said that "tonight, thousands of Canadians will sleep in shelters or on the street, with none of the security or stability that adequate housing provides."
The budget calls the goal a shared task for federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, Indigenous partners, non-profit organizations, charities, businesses and developers. The package brings together new initiatives and extensions of existing programs, including monthly help with rent for Canadians with low incomes.
