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Response to parliamentary committees

Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

The Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities report regarding the Canada Infrastructure Bank was presented to the House of Commons on Monday, May 2, 2022. The Government response to this report was tabled in the House on Thursday, September 15, 2022.

The Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities report regarding Targeted Infrastructure Investments to Influence Social, Economic and Environmental Outcomes was presented to the House of Commons on Monday, June 20, 2022. The Government response to this report was tabled in the House on Monday, October 17, 2022.

Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

Report 5 – Chronic Homelessness

This audit focused on whether Employment and Social Development Canada and Infrastructure Canada prevented and reduced chronic homelessness through interventions that helped those at risk of or experiencing homelessness and chronic homelessness obtain housing and supports needed to remain housed.

This audit is important because experiencing homelessness, including chronic homelessness, affects an individual’s health, security, stability, and participation in society and the economy. Addressing chronic homelessness through both housing and supports, such as discharge planning services for people leaving public systems (for example, health, corrections, and child welfare systems) is important. Without permanent housing options, the supports to prevent people from experiencing homelessness, and the supports to enable people experiencing chronic homelessness to transition out of temporary locations into permanent housing, it is not possible to reduce chronic homelessness.

Recommendation 5.45

Infrastructure Canada should

• collect and analyze data in a timely manner so that it can report up‑to‑date results on homelessness and chronic homelessness
• finalize the implementation of its online reporting platform
• use the information and data that it collects to determine why trends in homelessness are emerging and how its programs are addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness and chronic homelessness
• use the information that it collects and the resulting analysis to make program adjustments where required

Departmental Response

Agreed. While the COVID‑19 pandemic required communities to shift their focus to pandemic response measures, impacting their ability to collect and report timely data and therefore the ability of the department to analyze and report up‑to‑date information, Infrastructure Canada recognizes the importance of emergency shelter and program data to support an understanding of homelessness and the extent to which the program is addressing needs.

With respect to shelter data, in early 2022, the department began work to identify technological solutions to accelerate data availability. A work plan for implementing these solutions will be developed by 31 March 2023.

The last phase of the new Reaching Home Results Reporting Online system is expected to be released in fall 2022. This will allow for timely collection and analysis of annual program results.

To explain trends in homelessness through data collected by the department, as well as other data available, new research products will be released by 31 May 2023, including one that will review known structural factors that influence homelessness and an analysis of their relative contribution to observed changes in shelter use.

All of these information sources will support the department in making adjustments to the program where and when needed.

Recommendation 5.49

Infrastructure Canada should collaborate with designated communities and other partners to develop an action plan with timelines to address the barriers to the implementation of coordinated access that were identified in its analysis of community reporting.

Departmental Response

Agreed. While the COVID‑19 pandemic required communities to shift their focus to pandemic response measures, impacting their ability to pursue the transformational change required to introduce coordinated access, Infrastructure Canada recognizes the importance of supporting the ongoing efforts of communities to implement and maintain this approach to service delivery.

Subsequent to the period under audit, the department implemented the following measures:

• doubled the funding identified to support communities in their implementation of coordinated access
• enhanced and extended funding to the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness to provide technical assistance and support to communities
• issued additional guidance related to coordinated access implementation and the outcomes-based approach

Additionally, Infrastructure Canada will be working individually with all the communities that have not yet implemented coordinated access to help them achieve the requirements by 31 March 2023.

Recommendation 5.74

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Infrastructure Canada should

• align, coordinate, and integrate their efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness and chronic homelessness
• engage with central agencies to clarify accountability for the achievement of the National Housing Strategy targets to eliminate gaps

Departmental Response

Agreed. While federal efforts are only one component of addressing homelessness, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Infrastructure Canada recognize that preventing and reducing homelessness, including chronic homelessness, requires clear accountability, alignment of federal initiatives, and cross-jurisdictional support and efforts. While the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is the lead and accountable for the National Housing Strategy as a whole, the corporation and Infrastructure Canada will work with central agencies by 31 December 2023 to clarify accountability for the achievement of the National Housing Strategy chronic homelessness target.

In support of improved alignment, coordination, and integration on homelessness and chronic homelessness including prevention, subsequent to the initial audit period, the Assistant Deputy Minister–level committee between the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Infrastructure Canada was established to collaborate more formally on infrastructure, housing, and homelessness. Two additional interdepartmental committees will be struck in 2022–23: one across federal organizations to facilitate efforts on chronic homelessness; and the other with Veterans Affairs Canada to support the implementation of the new Veteran Homelessness Program.

Beyond improving federal governance structures, by 31 December 2022, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Infrastructure Canada will develop a targeted awareness strategy to ensure that Reaching Home funding recipients can maximize opportunities available through other National Housing Strategy programs that could support their efforts to address homelessness. To promote the ongoing awareness of opportunities, Reaching Home funding recipients will be encouraged to integrate regional corporation staff into community-level planning around funding through existing structures such as community advisory boards.

For cross-jurisdictional support and efforts, one mechanism that is used is the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Forum on Housing, which provides opportunities to discuss the implementation of the National Housing Strategy and assess its effectiveness. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is the co‑chair of the forum at the deputy and senior official levels and Infrastructure Canada is also represented.

Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

There were no audits in 2022–23 requiring a response.