ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nov. 7, 2026 /CNW/ — In an increasingly turbulent world, Canada is determining our future. We have the strength to build, the discipline to deliver, and the values to take care of each other.
Budget 2026 is the major next step of our ambitious, pragmatic, generational plan to make Canadians maîtres chez nous, building our sovereignty and giving us the freedom to live our lives as we choose. And being maîtres chez vous begins with a place to call your own.
Today the Minister of Fisheries, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, met with the Anglican Homes Inc in St. John’s to highlight Budget 2026’s plan to end homelessness within 10 years. Backed by nearly $30 billion, this is an unprecedented federal initiative to tackle homelessness and ensure all Canadians can live in dignity and community.
For decades, governments, communities, and front-line organisations have grappled with homelessness, and their experience has shown what makes the biggest difference.
Homelessness is about more than a roof over one’s head. It is about the help people rely on every day, the stability of a safe and affordable home, and the health care many need, including for mental health and addictions. For too long, these systems have operated apart, and not at the scale this crisis demands. Budget 2026 brings them together around what we have learned works: help, housing, and health.
Help: reaching people early, and staying with them until they find a home
- $6.5 billion to renew and strengthen the Reaching Home Initiative and support for veteran homelessness. This funding supports community-led efforts to prevent homelessness, connect people with shelter and essential services, and help them find employment support and a permanent home. Communities will be expected to provide more consistent and timely data to measure the scale of homelessness and track progress in reducing it.
- $5.5 billion to renew the Canada Housing Benefit to provide direct monthly rental assistance to low-income Canadians, including survivors of gender-based violence, so they can pay their rent, keep their homes, and avoid becoming homeless.
Housing: a safe place to go, from transitional homes to deeply affordable ones
- $10 billion through Build Canada Homes to support the delivery of about 25,000 supportive and transitional homes across Canada. The federal government will fund construction, while provinces and territories fund operations and the services residents need to stay housed. This investment will grow as more partners step forward.
Health: care and a home, together under one roof
- $5 billion for a new Integrated Supports Fund, delivered through Build Canada Homes, to build facilities that bring together housing, health care, mental health and addictions treatment, and other social services, with public, private, and philanthropic partners. The model builds on the success of Toronto’s Dunn House, where residents’ emergency room visits have been cut in half.
- $2 billion for the Build Communities Strong Fund’s Health Infrastructure Fund to build new community mental health and addictions treatment facilities and refurbish existing ones.
A home is more than a roof over someone’s head. It is the foundation for good health, personal security, and the opportunity to build a better life. This is what it means to be maîtres chez nous: a sovereign Canada, where we take care of each other, where we create opportunities for all, and where we are free to live our lives as we choose.
Quotes
“A strong future for Canada requires having the right supports for our people. Housing is crucial to economic well-being and, more importantly, to a sense of security and belonging. Budget 2026 will help lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty, while putting Canada on a path to end homelessness, create more non-market housing, and build a housing market that works for everyone. Today’s announcement is the first step in delivering that plan, helping build a healthier, more prosperous Canada, and truly making us masters of our destiny.”
The Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue
“Newfoundlanders and Labradorians know the importance of looking out for one another. Budget 2026 builds on that value by making unprecedented investments to help prevent and reduce homelessness, expand access to supportive housing, and connect people with the care and services they need. By bringing housing, health and community supports together, we can help strengthen communities, improve well-being, and make meaningful progress toward ending homelessness so that more people have a safe place to call home.”
The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries
“As the Member of Parliament for Labrador, I believe every person deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Homelessness and housing insecurity are challenges we must address head-on. Our federal government is stepping up with investments to build more housing, support those experiencing homelessness and provide relief to those in need. We are committed to working with our partners to deliver real results for Labrador and its people.”
Philip Earle, Member of Parliament for Labrador
“Every week I hear from people in Avalon, seniors and young families especially, who are worried about keeping up with the rent. Budget 2026 helps people stay in their homes with monthly rent support, and builds the supportive housing and care others need to get back on their feet.”
Paul Connors, Member of Parliament for Avalon
“No one should have to face homelessness on their own. Organizations like Anglican Homes help people find stability and hope, and Budget 2026 strengthens that work through a historic investment to help end homelessness. By connecting housing, mental health supports, addictions treatment, and community supports, we can help more people build brighter futures and stronger communities.”
Tom Osborne, Member of Parliament for Cape Spear-Mount Pearl-Paradise
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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada
