Budgeting an End to Homelessness in Canada?

 

A person sleeps on the street in downtown Montreal, on Monday, Sept. 10, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.  A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

Matthew  8:18-20 NRSVue 

  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Ezekiel 36: 26-27 NRSVue 

 I listened to a political pundit who was formerly a provincial budget planner who reminded us that budgets at every level, including federal, tend to be performative rather than transformative. Politicians want us to know that they are doing Very Important Things with our tax dollars, real and imagined. The reality is that there are a lot of fixed costs and not much leeway, but announcements are made. 

He was speaking in response to Thursday's federal budget with the kinda cheesy title: Masters of our destiny. Have these folk been watching too many Marvel films? There is lots to digest in this budget but I was really intrigued by the commitment to end homelessness in Canada within ten years. The government estimates that there are 65,000 homeless people in the country and has pledged a little over 11 billion dollars over the next four years and nearly 18 billion in future years to address community mental health and addiction facilities and create stable housing. 

As a "democratic socialist" Canadian and a Christian I support this initiative whole-heartedly. I am aware though that a commitment was made nearly a decade ago to halve homelessness and instead the numbers have grown across the country in nearly every town and city. Here in Belleville, population 56,000, those without shelter is a major issue with encampments everywhere. When we moved here in 2013 some people argued that there weren't signs of homelessness in our community, although folk were "living rough" even then. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney describes the pledge to end homelessness as a $30-billion co-ordinated national plan. John Woods/The Canadian Press

Yesterday Prime Minister Mark Carney stood with Premier Wab Kinew to announce a commitment of a billion dollars for Winnipeg and Manitoba. According to the Globe and Mail: 

Speaking at the construction site of Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn, a First Nations-led affordable housing project located in Winnipeg’s former Hudson’s Bay building, Mr. Carney said the homelessness crisis has no easy answers.

“We understand both how difficult this will be, but equally how imperative it is that we all succeed,” he said, as the scent of burning sage wafted through the space. He was flanked by about 50 supporters and dignitaries, including First Nations chiefs and front-line workers who spend their nights patrolling Winnipeg’s streets supporting unhoused people.

“Ending homelessness is hard, it’s good and it’s right, and it will require more than compassion. It will require ambition, execution and partnership amongst all levels of government, with contributions from philanthropy and business,” Mr. Carney said.

I would agree with the Prime Minister, adding that we need to be rooted first in compassion as a nation in order for the ambition, execution, and partnership to unfold. There is a lot of hard-heartedness out there and we need to be vocal in our compassion. As a Christian the foundation is the love of Christ, 

Have you noticed that there are rarely homeless people in the background of press conferences about ending homelessness? 

Let's pray for new hearts so that the promises are fulfilled. I'm all for transformation.