Questions and Answers on the transfer of Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy to Infrastructure Canada

Effective April 1, 2023, Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy will be transferred from Employment and Social Development Canada to Infrastructure Canada (INFC). This transfer is a structural change within the Government of Canada and will have no impact on the nature, delivery or funding of the Reaching Home program, nor will it have any impacts on the funding announced as part of Budgets 2021 and 2022.

Why is the Reaching Home (RH) program moving to Infrastructure Canada and when is the transfer taking place?

On October 26, 2021, Prime Minister Trudeau announced the creation of a new Cabinet position, the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion. This new position signals the importance of housing and homelessness across Canada and puts it at the forefront of the Government of Canada's mandate. In this role, the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion is supported by Canadian Heritage, Women and Gender Equality Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada and Infrastructure Canada (INFC).

Following the Prime Minister's announcement and pursuant to Order in Council (OIC) P.C. 2021-0952, responsibility for Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy was transferred to INFC. To ensure a seamless transition, INFC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Service Canada to have them continue to administer the program until March 31, 2023. This arrangement provided INFC with time to develop the necessary organizational structure and supports in order to assume delivery of the Reaching Home program effective April 1, 2023.

How will this transfer impact current Reaching Home funding, agreements and service delivery?

This transfer is a structural change within the Government of Canada and will have no impact on the nature or funding of the Reaching Home program. The Government of Canada remains committed to supporting Reaching Home funded organizations, Indigenous, provincial and territorial partners, and to ensuring the stability and continuity of the Reaching Home program during this transition.

All Reaching Home key partners and funding recipients can expect to receive the same level of support, operational guidance and program delivery.

What does this transition mean for my current claims or advances?

All processes for submissions remain the same at this time. Any revisions to procedures for advances, claims, reporting or amendments will be communicated in advance.

Will there be a change in the key Government of Canada contacts for the Reaching Home program?

Current points of contact for the Reaching Home program remain the same until March 31, 2023. Revised contact information will be communicated towards the end of February 2023.

In the meantime, if there are questions about the transfer of Reaching Home to Infrastructure Canada, please contact: reachinghomeinfo-infoversunchezsoi@infc.gc.ca.

How will the transfer affect the Indigenous Homelessness Stream in the Quebec Region?

Service Canada Quebec Region will be transferring responsibility for administering Indigenous Homelessness funding agreements in the province of Quebec to INFC starting on April 1, 2023. INFC will manage the agreements going forward and will be the main point of contact for recipients.

Revised contact information will be communicated towards the end of February 2023.

In the meantime, if there are questions about the transfer of Reaching Home to Infrastructure Canada, please contact: reachinghomeinfo-infoversunchezsoi@infc.gc.ca.

Will this transfer affect the funding that has been dedicated under the Reaching Home program's Distinction-based Approaches stream?

Points of contact with Modern Treaty Holders, First Nations, Métis and Inuit partners under the Distinction-Based approaches stream remain the same.

The funding made available to Modern Treaty Holders under the Distinction-based approaches stream will not be affected.

Will the transfer affect the Reaching Home programming delivered under the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Agreements and Engagement Protocol Agreements?

In rare cases, Reaching Home distinctions-based funding flows through other funding agreements administered by Service Canada, namely Indigenous, Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Agreements and Engagement and Protocol (EPA) Agreements.

Service Canada will continue to administer the ISET and EPA agreements after April 1, 2023.

Will there be a change in how data is collected / reported?

The current method of data collection remains the same at this time.