2023-24 Departmental Results Report
Gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus)
Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus Governance and Capacity
Governance
Housing Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) is committed to ensuring inclusive outcomes for its infrastructure investments. The HICC Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) Centre of Expertise continues to build GBA Plus capacity, application, and reporting in collaboration with the various sectors and branches of the department.
The GBA Plus Centre of Expertise:
- Facilitates HICC-specific training and develops tools to build awareness, knowledge and skills to help bring the application of GBA Plus into the mainstream of the department’s work.
- Reviews Cabinet documents, including Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions, and other material such as scenario and briefing notes, and Budget submissions.
- Provides GBA Plus policy advice for programs, data and reporting, ad-hoc requests, and generalized guidance for all questions relating to GBA Plus.
- Conducts GBA Plus HICC-specific research and shares information about GBA Plus frameworks, resources and practices.
- Contributes to GBA Plus-related corporate reporting (i.e., Departmental Plan, Departmental Results Report, WAGE Annual Survey).
- Liaises with the Department for Women and Gender Equality Canada and the broader Government of Canada GBA Plus Interdepartmental Network.
- Organizes GBA Plus awareness events within the department and amplifies external events.
- Provides support to the GBA Plus Executive Champion in promoting equity considerations at the highest level of departmental planning.
The integration of GBA Plus in all facets of HICC's work – from ideation to decision making, to monitoring and reporting – continues to be supported by senior management. The Deputy Minister's Executive Committee, which is the most senior level of the HICC governance structure, provides strategic direction on policies and programs to ensure that they are made with an understanding of the positive and negative impacts of infrastructure investments on all Canadians.
In 2023-24, HICC continued to build capacity and culture around GBA Plus through the GBA Plus Advisory Community and through activities for the annual all-of government GBA Plus Awareness Week. HICC also launched a working group on Community Employment Benefits (CEB) to build the department’s knowledge base and provide support for the implementation of CEB. The CEB initiative aims to promote increased employment opportunities for a broader array of people in the construction workforce and to complement efforts across the country to encourage and increase the supply and retention of diverse workers in infrastructure-related industries.
Overall, HICC continues to be committed to improve the departmental culture with respect to the implementation of GBA Plus and is committed to ensuring inclusive outcomes and identifying systemic barriers that impact the experience and use of public infrastructure in Canada.
Capacity
In 2023-24, the Centre of Expertise participated in multiple horizontal initiatives to improve the integration of GBA Plus across the policy and program lifecycle. As part of that work, the Centre of Expertise worked with subject matter experts to develop approaches to integrating GBA Plus into performance indicators, as well as working with the Centre for Intercultural Learning to make additional GBA Plus training available to employees of HICC.
HICC’s GBA Plus Centre of Expertise also updated tools and resources to assist employees in understanding GBA Plus concepts and applying them to their work. These included a lexicon of standard definitions for commonly used terms related to GBA Plus and a worksheet to help conduct more thorough GBA Plus analysis for Cabinet documents.
HICC also created a Climate Equity Mapping Tool (CEMT), an innovative interactive map enabling the analysis of the interplay and trends between climate factors and various social demographics, to provide insights to support climate-informed decisions that prioritize communities most at risk.
Human Resources (full-time equivalents) Dedicated to GBA Plus
The GBA Plus Responsibility Centre consists of three full time employees, one full time employee providing part-time support (0.5 FTEs), and one manager (0.25 FTEs) dedicated to the implementation and mainstreaming of GBA Plus across the Department. This remains the same as last fiscal year.
Section 2: Gender and Diversity Impacts, by Program
Core Responsibility: Public Infrastructure, Communities, Affordable Housing and Homelessness Policy
Program Name: Public Infrastructure and Communities Policy
Program Goals: The Public Infrastructure and Community Policy programs provide decision-makers with timely policy recommendations for infrastructure and communities issues.
Target Population: All Canadians
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | Third group: No significant distributional impacts |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: Not applicable
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada undertakes evidence-based policy decisions that target the needs of Canadians and stakeholders and are informed by policy centres of expertise, including GBA Plus. As part of regular program and policy development, the department seeks data and undertakes research to ensure GBA Plus impacts are fully considered. Where information is available on key impacts on gender and diversity by funding program, details are provided under the Stewardship and Delivery Core Responsibility.
Key impacts that have been undertaken in an effort to address impacts on specific groups, including the development of tailored support for Indigenous applicants and applicants target populations who require additional support, and implementing specific elements in program design to address particular groups:
- For Indigenous recipients, measures include minimum funding allocation under transfer payment programs and additional flexibility in eligibility criteria for Indigenous infrastructure projects, and higher maximum federal cost-share for Indigenous, rural, and northern projects.
- Some of HICC’s transfer payment programs were designed specifically for or included dedicated funding streams for particular regions, such as the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream and the Arctic Energy Fund under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
- Additionally, HICC has been adapting programs to meet the needs of rural and remote communities, for example, launching a stand-alone Rural Transit Solutions Fund (RTSF).
A GBA Plus analysis is included in all applicable budget proposals and cabinet-level documents in line with whole-of-government requirements.
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Not applicable
Other Key Program Impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan
Although inextricably linked to the oversight and delivery of HICC's transfer payment programs, Public Infrastructure and Communities Policy collects GBA Plus data in the following ways:
- Engagements with academia on research and best practices for the application of equity-based measures in infrastructure investment and development.
- Reports from community and stakeholder consultations to help inform an intersectional approach to policy and program development.
- Advocating for the collection and reporting of equity-based measures in provincial and proponent contribution agreements.
- The creation of policies and reporting intended to improve equity in employment opportunities for certain target populations.
Program Name: Alternative Financing Policy
Program Goals: The Alternative Financing Policy Program provides stakeholders with timely policy recommendations supporting alternative financing of infrastructure.
Target Population: All Canadians
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | Third group: No significant distributional impacts |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: The Alternative Finance Division leverages infrastructure and housing delivery models using public funds to attract private capital for more investments in green infrastructure, clean power, public transit, housing, trade and transportation and broadband for the benefit of all Canadians.
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity: Not applicable
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Not applicable
Other Key Program Impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan: Not applicable
Program Name: Major Bridges Policy
Program Goals: The Major Bridges Policy program provides stakeholders with timely policy recommendations supporting infrastructure project delivery.
Target Population: All Canadians
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | Third group: No significant distributional impacts |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: Not applicable
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's policy programs provide decision-makers with timely policy recommendations for infrastructure programs and projects. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada undertakes evidence-based policy decisions that target the needs of Canadians and stakeholders and are informed by policy centers of expertise, including GBA Plus. Where information is available on key impacts on gender and diversity by funding program, details are provided under the Public Infrastructure and Communities Investment Stewardship and Delivery Core Responsibility.
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Not applicable
Other Key Program Impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan
Gender and diversity data related to the Major Bridges & Projects Policy program are inextricable from the oversight and delivery of HICC’s Major Bridge Oversight. Consequently, final outcomes are reported under the corresponding program under the Stewardship and Delivery Core Responsibility section.
As part of regular program and policy development, the department seeks data and undertakes research to ensure GBA Plus impacts are considered.
Policy development helps support community benefit agreements that were negotiated to minimize negative impacts during construction, encourage equitable employment opportunities, and provide additional benefits of social infrastructure investment for the local community.Program Name: Homelessness Policy
Program Goals: The Homelessness Policy program works with communities to develop and deliver outcomes-based approaches to address local homelessness needs.
Target Population: Individuals and families who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness.
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | First group: Strongly benefits low income individuals (strongly progressive) |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: A particular demographic group: Individuals and families in Canada who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's policy programs provide decision-makers with timely policy recommendations for infrastructure programs and projects. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada undertakes evidence-based policy decisions that target the needs of Canadians and stakeholders and are informed by policy centers of expertise, including GBA Plus. Where information is available on key impacts on gender and diversity by funding program, details are provided under the Public Infrastructure and Communities Investment Stewardship and Delivery Core Responsibility.
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Not applicable
Other Key Program Impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan
Gender and diversity data related to the Homelessness Policy program are inextricable from the oversight and delivery of the Reaching Home program. Consequently, reporting of outcomes are appropriately captured under the corresponding program under the Stewardship and Delivery Core Responsibility section.
The Homelessness Policy program works to develop analysis and reports with the goal of understanding the drivers, prevalence and demographics of homelessness in Canada, and support action research about what further methods could contribute to eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada.
Core Responsibility: Public Infrastructure, Communities, and Homelessness Investments
Program Name: Public Infrastructure and Communities Investment
Program Goals: Public Infrastructure and Communities Investment recommend projects related to public infrastructure and communities to which funds can be committed.
Target Population: All Canadians
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | Third group: No significant distributional impacts |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: Not applicable
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada works to deliver policies, programs and projects in support of investments in key areas such as public transit and green infrastructure, climate adaptation for resilience, community and cultural infrastructure, and rural and northern development, in line with the government's commitments to GBA Plus. Through allocation-based and direct-application programming, federal infrastructure funding supports local needs, builds resilient communities and enables the construction and/or renovation of accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved populations. Programs prioritize or are targeted to vulnerable or historically marginalized communities and populations and help to ensure that infrastructure gaps, particularly for Indigenous populations, are considered.
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Not applicable
Other Key Program impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan
Gender and diversity data related to the Public Infrastructure and Communities Investment program are inextricable from the oversight and delivery of HICC’s transfer payment programs. Consequently, the reporting of GBA Plus outcomes is captured under the corresponding program under the Stewardship and Delivery Core Responsibility section.
Programs, including the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) and direct application programs, also capture and measure key GBA Plus indicators at the community level. For example, these indicators consider:
- whether projects take gender into consideration during the design and/or construction phases;
- whether public facing built assets incorporate universal design;
- the percentage of federally funded public facing infrastructure which will meet the highest published applicable accessibility standard in a respective jurisdiction.
GBA Plus is applied in the investments core responsibility through outcomes-based Grants and Contribution Agreements negotiated and signed by the department which includes information to capture and measure indicators related to GBA Plus.
Program Name: Alternative Financing Investment
Program Goals: The Alternative Financing Investment program provides oversight on federal matters relating to the development of alternative financing approaches for projects under this program.
Target Population: All Canadians
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | Third group: No significant distributional impacts |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: The Alternative Finance Division provides advice on development of alternative financing approaches, including GBA Plus considerations including Indigenous equity and consultation.
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity: Not applicable
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Not applicable
Other Key Program Impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan: Not applicable
Program Name: Major Bridges Investment
Program Goals: The Major Bridges Investment program provides funding in accordance with the Project Agreement.
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada is responsible for oversight of the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated, a Crown corporation with the mandate to operate and maintain several federal structures in the Montreal region, and the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority, which is responsible for the delivery of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor (Ontario) and Detroit (Michigan). The Department is also responsible for the Samuel De Champlain Bridge Corridor that links the island of Montreal to the South Shore.
Target Population: All Canadians
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | Third group: No significant distributional impacts |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: All Canadians, the South Shore and the Island of Montreal.
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada works to deliver policies, programs and projects in support of investments in important bridge projects.
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Not applicable
Other Key Program impacts
By offering more efficient transportation than the previous corridor and by dedicating the central corridor to public transit, the project offers more opportunities for efficient transit over longer distance for commuters, therefore potentially making some employment opportunities possible, particularly employment opportunities in downtown Montreal for South Shore residents and South Shore employment opportunities for Montreal Island residents.
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan
Gender and diversity data related to the Major Bridges Investment program are inextricable from the oversight and delivery of HICC’s Major Bridge Oversight Program. GBA Plus outcomes are captured under the corresponding program under the Stewardship and Delivery Core Responsibility section.
GBA Plus is applied in the investments core responsibility through outcomes-based projects funded through Crown corporations and through the delivery of the Samuel De Champlain Bridge Corridor Project which includes information to capture and measure indicators related to GBA Plus.
Program Name: Homelessness Investment
Program Goals: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada uses a range of funding mechanisms, including direct funding to urban, Indigenous, territorial, rural and remote communities across Canada to help them address their local homelessness needs.
Target Population: Individuals and families who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness.
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | First group: Strongly benefits low-income individuals (strongly progressive) |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: A particular demographic group: Individuals and families in Canada who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada works to deliver policies, programs and projects in support of investments to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. GBA Plus is applied in the investments core responsibility through outcomes-based Grants and Contribution Agreements negotiated and signed by the department which may include information to capture and measure indicators related to GBA Plus.
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Not applicable
Other Key Program Impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan
Gender and diversity data related to the Homelessness Policy program are inextricable from the oversight and delivery of the Reaching Home program. Results of this investment are captured under the corresponding program under the Stewardship and Delivery Core Responsibility section.
The Reaching Home program and the new Veteran Homelessness program capture data relating to funding communities and partners who implement the program, on a community level, which includes wrap-around supports to meet the needs of the diverse populations who are experiencing homelessness in urban and rural communities.
Core Responsibility: Public Infrastructure and Communities Investment Stewardship and Delivery
Program Name: Allocation-Based and Direct Funding Stewardship
Program Goals: For many of HICC’s funding programs, it is the responsibility of program recipients to collect relevant data and report on GBA Plus.
Target Population: All Canadians
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | Third group: No significant distributional impacts |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: All Canadians
Groups that may benefit, whether directly or indirectly: people living in rural, and northern Indigenous communities.
Groups that may face barriers to access or participation: people living in remote and inaccessible locations in Indigenous communities.
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity
Canada Community-Building Fund
The Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) is an indexed federal transfer that currently provides $2.4 billion per year of predictable, long-term funding, to help communities build and revitalize their public infrastructure according to local priorities. The program reaches over 3,600 communities across the country and supports thousands of projects a year in 19 flexible categories.
Through its reach, the program provides essential funding for many small, rural and northern communities The funding flows from the federal government to signatories (i.e., provinces, territories, Union of British Columbia Municipalities, Association of Ontario Municipalities and the City of Toronto) who, in turn, flow the funding to communities, largely on a per capita basis. Projects are selected by each community according to their priorities among the eligible categories. Communities are able to save and earn interest on their CCBF funds, to undertake larger projects that exceed their annual allocation.
In 2023-24, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada provided $2.4 billion in funding to CCBF signatories across the country. The Department also negotiated with provinces and territories to renew the CCBF for 2024-2034. The new agreements will advance federal priorities by tying access to CCBF funding to actions taken by provinces and territories to increase housing supply and affordability. While all communities are encouraged to consider their housing needs when making CCBF project selections, only communities with more than 30,000 people will be required to develop and public a formal Housing Needs Assessment as a condition of their CCBF funding.
Public Transit
Funding under the Permanent Public Transit Program targets urban and non-urban communities. This funding benefits demographic groups including women, youth, persons with disabilities, seniors, and low-income Canadians due to their tendency to rely more heavily on public transit. In addition, several of the Funds have specific features designed to ensure that beneficial impacts are inclusive.
For example, the Active Transportation Fund (ATF) invests in community-based projects across the country that create, support or enhance active transportation infrastructure. ATF supported projects provide many benefits to diverse and vulnerable populations, including increased safety for vulnerable road users, creation of economic opportunities, and ensuring people of all ages and abilities have access to destinations and resources within their communities – including remote or rural communities. Furthermore, in line with Canada’s commitment to reconciliation, 10% of the funding envelope has been set aside for Indigenous communities.
The Rural Transit Solutions Fund supports projects that help Canadians living in rural and remote areas get around their communities more easily for their day-to-day activities and connect with other communities nearby. People living in rural, remote, Northern, and Indigenous communities often depend on private vehicles for transportation and often lack access to transit options. Additionally, people without access to private vehicles or who are unable to drive are isolated from essential services or are unable to travel with ease within their own community or visit nearby communities.
The Department continued its technical engagement with municipal partners and initiated consultations with national organizations to enable future agreements with metro regions as part of the future of permanent public transit. As well, it continued to develop programming for the permanent public transit funding in a manner that offers the greatest benefits to Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada held consultations with provinces, territories, municipalities, local governments, Indigenous communities, transit agencies, policy experts and other stakeholders on the design of the new permanent public transit funding that help address how all orders of government will work in partnership to get the most out of investments in public transit.
HICC continued to provide ongoing support, stewardship and oversight to projects funded through the Permanent Public Transit Program (PPTP) which contribute to national priorities such as growing our carbon-neutral economy, and supporting community needs such as ability to access jobs, health and cultural services, active transportation, and public transportation.
Canada Healthy Communities Initiative
The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative (CHCI) supports community-based infrastructure projects across Canada that respond to impacts of COVID-19 through the adaptation of physical spaces and adoption of technological solutions. The CHCI will enable communities to respond to the impacts of COVID-19 in an inclusive and innovative way, improving the well-being of their residents by addressing, among other obstacles, mobility issues and safe access to public or green space.
CHCI recipients are required to design and implement programming that corresponds with the CHCI's objectives and expected results, including those related to fairness, equity and consideration of diverse vulnerable populations, ensure that promotion and outreach of the CHCI targets diverse and vulnerable groups; and collect and report information in order to fulfill HICC's GBA Plus reporting requirements including such as essential workers, women, people with low incomes, people living in high-density areas, seniors, persons with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness.
Key Program Impacts Statistics:
| Transfer Payment Program | Statistics* | Observed Results* | Data Source | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund | Geographical distribution of approved DMAF projects | Of the 115 approved DMAF projects:
|
Program Data | Northern communities include those in YT, NT, and NU |
| Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program | Geographical distribution of approved GICB projects |
Of the 251 approved GICB projects:
|
Program Data | Northern communities include those in YT, NT, and NU |
| Active Transportation Fund | Geographical Distribution of approved Public Transit projects |
Of the 498 approved ATF projects:
|
Program Data | Northern communities include those in YT, NT, and NU |
| Percentage of projects that include safety elements |
Of the 31 completed ATF capital projects:
|
Program Data | Examples of safety elements include: lighting; cameras; fencing and barriers; curbing; cross-walk; pavement markings; and speed bumps | |
| Rural Transit Solutions Fund | Geographical Distribution of approved Public Transit projects |
Of the 168 approved RTSF projects:
|
Program Data | Northern communities include those in YT, NT, and NU |
Other Key Program impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan
Project location data, along with other data gathered from the project application process and progress reporting for approved projects enable the department to conduct GBA Plus analysis on the basis of regional and geographic distribution.
The Community Employment Benefits (CEB) initiative reporting framework is applied to several of HICC’s transfer payment programs. The reporting framework requires projects report on at least three Community Employment Benefits (CEB) groups. These groups include apprentices, Indigenous peoples, women, persons with disabilities, veterans, youth and new Canadians, as well as opportunities for small, medium-sized and social enterprises.
The CEB Initiative reporting framework is applied to:
- Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) approved projects. Recipients, on a case-by-case basis, may be exempt from reporting on the CEB initiative.
- Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) projects over $10 million in federal contribution. Projects under $10 million are encouraged to report CEB voluntarily.
- Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) projects above $25 million in total eligible costs. Funding recipients may be exempt from reporting on the CEB initiative at the discretion of the provinces or territory.
- Under the Natural Infrastructure Fund (NIF), all projects with total estimated eligible costs of $10 million or more.
- Under the Permanent Public Transit Program (PPTP), projects over $10 million in federal contributions, with the exception of the Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF).
- Smart Cities Challenge (SCC), all winning projects.
Canada Community-Building Fund
While the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF), launched in 2005-06 as the Gas Tax Fund, was not initially developed with the consideration of GBA Plus, the provinces and territories are accountable for reporting to the federal government on the projects that were funded and the benefits that were achieved. HICC designed the program to address GBA Plus themes at the program level, influencing those elements that are possible to influence at this level.
For example, HICC changed the per-capita formula for smaller provinces/territories to include a baseline allocation amount, ensuring that smaller populations could also benefit from CCBF funding. The delegation of decision-making authority to the lowest possible level helps to ensure that the bodies best suited to make these decisions are, in fact, the communities themselves.
The transfer of dedicated funding to Indigenous Services Canada for inclusion in the First Nations Infrastructure Fund also ensures that local First Nations communities have the ability to address infrastructure priorities in their communities. Inuit and Métis Indigenous communities are also individually funded through their respective provinces/territories.
As a part of negotiations to renew the CCBF agreements from 2024 to 2034, HCC has advanced federal priorities for improved program transparency in communications and reporting, while streamlining the approach for communities with fewer than 30,000 residents. Individual communities will provide an annual update on projects selected using CCBF funding, and will select their reporting outcomes from a standardized list of performance indicators. They will no longer be required to develop a retroactive outcomes narrative every five years, instead the outcomes will be reported at the provincial/territorial and national levels based on the data gathered through the standardized annual reports. The program will begin implementation of the new processes once renewed agreements are in place.
Municipal Asset Management Program
The $110 million Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP) is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and supports improved asset management and data collection for greater evidence-based decision making on infrastructure investments. As part of the MAMP's 2019 program renewal, the FCM included GBA Plus. The FCM will take inclusion of a diverse range of communities into account in their program delivery. While the initial program design did not include GBA Plus, current data collection of outputs for awareness building and technical assistance will be provided in the program analysis.
Research and Knowledge Initiative
The Research and Knowledge Initiative aims to build the capacity of infrastructure decision-makers by funding research and data projects to enhance and disseminate infrastructure-related knowledge and facilitate knowledge-based collaborations and partnerships among infrastructure stakeholders. Supported projects strengthen the development and use of community-level data and research related to public infrastructure in cities, rural and remote areas, and Indigenous communities across Canada.
Smart Cities Challenge
The Smart Cities Challenge actively measures a number of key outcomes which continue to be validated through various methods of data collection and monitoring. This is primarily reflected in the outcomes-based Contribution Agreements signed with winning communities – an innovative funding tool which aligns funding to project outcomes and milestones for achieving them.
Historical Programs
Historical Programs at HICC include: the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF); the Border Infrastructure Fund (BIF); the Building Canada Fund-Communities Component (BCF-CC) and Major Infrastructure Component (BCF-MIC); the Green Infrastructure Fund (GIF); the New Building Canada Fund-Provincial-Territorial National Component-National and Regional Projects (PTIC-NRP), Small Communities Fund (PTIC-SCF) and National Infrastructure Component (NBCF-NIC); the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF); and the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF). These programs are fully allocated and HICC is not approving new projects under these funds. At the time of program development, a GBA Plus data collection plan was not established and consequently, there are no GBA Plus results to report for these programs beyond information collected through project location data.
Program Name: Alternative Financing Oversight
Program Goals: Alternative financing provides oversight on federal matters relating to the development of alternative financing approaches for projects under this program. Goals include providing decision-makers with timely analysis and policy recommendations supporting alternative financing oversight and governance of infrastructure projects.
Target Population: All Canadians
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | Third group: No significant distributional impacts |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: Not applicable
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity: Not applicable
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Not applicable
Other Key Program Impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan: Not applicable
Program Name: Major Bridges Oversight
Program Goals: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada is responsible for oversight of the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), a Crown corporation with the mandate to operate and maintain several federal structures in the region of Montreal, and the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), a Crown corporation responsible for the delivery of the Gordie Howe International Bridge (GHIB) between Windsor (Ontario) and Detroit (Michigan). A key feature of the GHIB is the inclusion of a Community Benefits Plan (CBP). The Department is also responsible for overseeing the delivery and ongoing operation of the Samuel De Champlain Bridge Corridor through a public-private partnership.
Target Population: All Canadians
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution |
Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | Third group: No significant distributional impacts |
| By age group | Second group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: All Canadians and the Windsor-Detroit region.
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity
JCCBI and WDBA both recognize the value of integrating GBA Plus analysis in their day-to-day operations and activities.
JCCBI continues to invest in raising awareness, providing training, and transferring knowledge where required, regarding various workplace well-being elements of GBA Plus including gender awareness/sensitivity, equity, diversity and inclusion. The corporation is also committed to more systematically integrating GBA Plus analysis and considerations into decision making and various operational activities relating to the structures they manage in the greater Montreal region.
WDBA is also implementing strategies to ensure a diverse and inclusive workforce to deliver the GHIB project. GBA Plus training has been provided to the WDBA executive team and internal committees, and diversity, inclusion and unconscious bias training has also been offered to staff.
The Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada portfolio also includes the Samuel De Champlain Bridge Corridor. By offering more efficient transportation and more options than the previous structure, including a dedicated public transit corridor and multi-use path opened year-round, the corridor offers more opportunities for commuters, therefore potentially providing access to a broader range of employment, education and other socio-economic opportunities for all groups.
Key Program Impacts Statistics
| Statistics | Observed Results* | Data Source | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| JCCBI's diverse workforce | As of September 30, 2021:
|
JCCBI's 2022-23 to 2026-27 Corporate Plan Summary |
JCCBI’s multidisciplinary team consisted of more than 190 people from various disciplines and trades. In its 2020 report filed under the Employment Equity Act, JCCBI reported that 13.58% of its full-time employees were members of a visible minority, as that expression is defined in the Act. |
| WDBA workforce: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility |
|
WDBA's 2022-23 Annual Report | The corporation includes staff that identify as Indigenous, African American and Canadian, Latino and Middle Eastern. |
* 2023-24 or most recent
Other Key Program Impacts
The GHIB project includes a Community Benefits Plan (“Plan”). In the Plan, community benefits are identified opportunities that can advance economic, social or environmental conditions for local communities surrounding the bridge. In developing the Community Benefits Plan, it was important that the initiatives selected for implementation would provide positive outcomes for the Windsor-Detroit region and specifically focus on enhancing the communities of Sandwich, Windsor and Delray (Detroit), the neighborhoods closest to the project area.
The Community Benefits Plan reflects community priorities and is comprised of two components:
1. The Workforce Development and Participation Strategy, which is geared toward engaging businesses and focuses on supporting workforce, training and pre-apprenticeship/apprenticeship opportunities. This includes leveraging partnerships that serve equity-seeking groups and workforce and training-relating engagements with women, youth and other equity seeking groups. As of December 31, 2023:
- 275 local businesses have been engaged within the City of Detroit and Windsor area;
- Over 11,415 individuals have been oriented to the project in Canada and the US;
- Over 690 pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships have been assigned to the project; and,
- 350 co-operative learning experiences have been provided on the GHIB project.
2. The Neighborhood Infrastructure Strategy, which focuses on collaborating with stakeholders and community members through consultation to develop a community investment strategy based on identified priorities. The strategy includes $20 million (CAD) in infrastructure investments, of which, $5.7 million has been distributed in Canada and the US. When the Plan was announced in 2019, a portion of the total funding was purposely left unassigned with the intention to assign the funding later in the delivery period. Under the Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy, investments were made in programming and infrastructure that is accessible for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) youth, seniors and community members of varying abilities, and celebrating the history of local cultures through art projects and storytelling. WDBA continues to engage Caldwell First Nation and Walpole Island First Nation on environmental consultations, public art consultation and youth mentorship, Community Benefits Plan initiatives and deliverance, including workforce development opportunities, general outreach and partnership opportunities. In spring 2023, a new community benefits initiative focusing on programming for Indigenous youth residing in the City of Windsor and surrounding areas was launched. WDBA also negotiated a capacity agreement with Caldwell First Nation to allow them to engage with the project with reduced financial barriers.
Additional information can be found online at: https://www.gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com/en/community-benefits-section
Supplementary Information Sources: Not applicable
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan
In 2022-23, JCCBI continued to invest in training, knowledge sharing and awareness about different workplace well-being aspects, including gender, equity, diversity and inclusion through its joint committee and corporate initiatives. JCBBI’s collaboration with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke on various projects for the Honoré Mercier Bridge is an example for the corporation’s initiative to support the GBA Plus.
The corporation is committed to initiate an evaluation of the GBA Plus with a view to integrating it more systematically into its decision-making process and operational activities, where applicable.
WDBA is committed to establishing an action plan allowing for the continued development of a safe, inclusive and respectful work environment and fostering a corporate culture where employees of every race, background, orientation and belief feel they belong. WDBA continued to implement strategies that recognize the importance of GBA Plus and the promotion of an equitable workforce. Initiatives include a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee and an internal Pay Equity Committee. WDBA also enhanced its evaluation criteria around hiring to ensure gender-based objectives are achieved.
Program Name: Homelessness Funding Oversight
Program Goals: The majority of the homelessness program uses a community-based approach so that communities maintain flexibility in determining their own local homelessness needs and priorities and funding projects accordingly.
Target Population: Individuals and families who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness.
Distribution of Benefits
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender | Third group: Broadly gender-balanced |
| By income level | First group: Strongly benefits low income individuals (strongly progressive) |
| By age group | Second group: No significant intergenerational impacts or impacts on generations between youths and seniors |
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: A particular demographic group: Individuals and families in Canada who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Key Program Impacts* on Gender and Diversity:
In the 2020-22 Point-in-Time count nearly one third (30%) of Veterans identified as Indigenous, similar to non-Veterans (31%). Veterans experiencing homelessness were older than non-Veterans. Nearly half (47%) of Veterans surveyed were aged 50 or above compared to 30% of non-veterans.Shelter data likely underestimates the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness. Research indicates that Veterans might not self-identify. Also, shelter data and survey data come from urban centres. Research suggests that a significant proportion of Veterans experiencing homelessness may reside outside of urban centres.
Key Program Impacts Statistics:
| Statistics | Observed Results* | Data Source | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of shelter users who are Indigenous | Indigenous people represented 5.0% of the Canadian population in the 2021 census, but approximately 31.2% of shelter users in 2022. This represents approximately 33,000 individuals. |
National Shelter Study 2005 to 2021, Homelessness Data Snapshot: The National Shelter Study 2022 update. |
Emergency shelter data likely underrepresents the extent of Indigenous peoples’ experience of homelessness. Preliminary data show that while approximately 31% of survey respondents identified as Indigenous during the 2020-2022 Point-in-Time (PiT) counts, this percentage was higher among people who were sleeping in unsheltered locations (41%) or staying with others (45%). |
|
Number of people experiencing chronic homelessness *This means the individual used a shelter for at least 6 months in the past year or they accessed a shelter at least once in each of the last 3 years |
Of an estimated 105,655 people who used an emergency shelter in 2022, 31,476 were estimated to be experiencing chronic homelessness. | Homelessness Data Snapshot: The National Shelter Study 2022 update. | This estimate does not include individuals who did not interact with the shelter system. Data from the 2020-2022 PiT counts show that more than 1 in 4 respondents experiencing homelessness indicated that they had not used a shelter in the past year. |
| Number of shelter users who are veterans | Analysis of 2022 emergency shelter data found that there was an estimated 1,450 Veterans accessing emergency shelters in Canada that year. This represents approximately 1.4% of shelter users. |
Homelessness Data Snapshot: The National Shelter Study 2022 update. |
Shelter users reporting military service were more likely to be male, at 82.4%, than the general shelter population. Males make up 66.7% of all shelter users. A slightly larger proportion of Veterans experience chronic homelessness than the broader population experiencing homelessness. |
| Number of people placed into more stable housing | 71,457
Indigenous People 26% 51,956 reported their age:
55,127 reported their gender:
|
2019-2023 Reaching Home Annual Results Reports from Reaching Home funding recipients as reported in RROL as of May 2024. | Demographic information is self-reported data and discretionary. |
| Number of people who benefited from core prevention services |
127,336 Indigenous People 20% 76,680 reported their age:
78,351 reported their gender:
|
2019-2023 Reaching Home Annual Results Reports from Reaching Home funding recipients as reported in RROL as of May 2024. | Demographic information is self-reported and discretionary. |
* 2023-24 or most recent
Other Key Program Impacts: Not applicable
Supplementary Information Sources
- Everyone Counts 2020-2022 – Results from the Third Nationally Coordinated Point-in-Time Counts of Homelessness in Canada
- Homelessness Data Snapshot: The National Shelter Study 2022 Update
- The National Shelter Study: Emergency shelter use in Canada 2005 to 2021
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan
The Community Homelessness Report (CHR) is an annual Reaching Home reporting deliverable that helps communities to self-assess their progress with Reaching Home implementation. In their CHR, communities are required to report on the program’s five core outcomes, including reducing Indigenous and chronic homelessness when they have person-specific data on homelessness in place that is real-time, comprehensive, and with enough data and capacity to report. Data reported in the first (covering 2019-20 and 2021-22), second (2021-22) and third (2022-2023) CHR reporting cycles shows communities are continuing to improve data quality. Data from the fourth reporting cycle (2023-24) is currently being submitted by communities to HICC, and is anticipated to be available for analysis in Fall 2024.
Since 2019, communities have reported demographic information on an annual basis. This includes identifying target populations for projects, e.g., chronic homeless, people living in encampments, people with disabilities, visible minorities and people identifying as 2SLGBTQIA+; and identifying the demographics of recipients of services related to the six
To better understand the intersectionality of issues related to homelessness, the most recent nationally coordinated Point-in-Time counts included a broader range of survey questions. In addition to existing questions on gender, sexual identity, age, Indigenous identity and newcomer experience, questions have been added regarding racial identity as well as self-reported physical and mental health challenges. A preliminary report on counts that took place between 2020 and 2022 was published in spring 2023, and a full report was published in January 2024.
Definitions
Target Population: See Finance Canada definition of Target Group in the User Instructions for the GBA Plus Departmental Summary
Scales
Gender scale
- First group: predominantly men (80% or more men)
- Second group: 60% to 79% men
- Third group: broadly gender-balanced
- Fourth group: 60% to 79% women
- Fifth group: predominantly women (80% or more women)
Income level scale
- First group: strongly benefits low income individuals (strongly progressive)
- Second group: somewhat benefits low income individuals (somewhat progressive)
- Third group: no significant distributional impacts
- Fourth group: somewhat benefits high income individuals (somewhat regressive)
- Fifth group: strongly benefits high income individuals (strongly regressive)
Age group scale
- First group: primarily benefits youth, children or future generations
- Second group: no significant intergenerational impacts or impacts on generations between youths and seniors
- Third group: primarily benefits seniors or the baby boom generation
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