Liberals set homeless reduction targets ahead of provincial talks
OTTAWA — The federal Liberals are aiming to halve the number of the hardest-to-help homeless and experts say it’s a move that may be key to ending homelessness in the country.
The upcoming national housing strategy looks to cut by 50 per cent the number of “chronic” homeless — many of whom won’t go to shelters and may be harder to reach through traditional support systems — and “episodic” homeless, those who find themselves on the street repeatedly.
Government estimates peg the number of chronic and episodic homeless at 25,000, meaning the Liberals expect that 11 years from now, federal spending will have cut that number to 12,500.
The target suggests that the federal government is open to new ways of dealing with homelessness.