The governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island sign an agreement to address homelessness

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, March 6, 2025 /CNW/ - The governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island signed an agreement to support people living without homes, including in encampments, as part of the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI).

Funding will support the implementation of a Community Encampment Response Plan (CERP) and immediately provide additional support to people living without homes. The plan is tailored to the specific needs of Charlottetown, and includes the construction of 13 new provincially-owned supportive housing units in Charlottetown. These units are being built on provincial land through traditional construction and will support individuals who are experiencing homelessness or who are unsheltered.

This initiative will create flow from shelter to more stable housing options, creating critical capacity within the emergency shelter system to support people experiencing homelessness.

Through this agreement, $1 million in federal funding will be made available over two years for Prince Edward Island. This is in addition to what the federal government is investing through the regionally delivered streams of Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy, a total of over $15.6 million from 2019-20 through 2028-29 in Prince Edward Island.

Construction on the 13-unit supportive housing project began in October 2024 with occupancy expected in fall 2025. The Province of Prince Edward Island is contributing $3.525 million to the project.

Housing provides stability and security and serves as the foundation for overall well-being. Everyone deserves and affordable safe housing, regardless of their circumstances.

Quotes 

"Everyone deserves a place to call home. That's why all levels of government are working together to accelerate housing construction and reduce chronic homelessness. The 13 new supportive housing units in Charlottetown will not only provide safe, stable shelter but also help build healthier, more inclusive communities."

Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown

"Homelessness is a nationwide issue that requires collaboration. We want to create housing stability and give Islanders experiencing homelessness the security and dignity they need to be ready to access the support services required to break the cycle of homelessness."

The Honourable Steven Myers, Minister of Housing, Land and Communities

Quick facts 

• The Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI) will help reduce the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, particularly those living in encampments. It is based on the deployment of a Community Encampment Response Plan (CERP) in each targeted community, adopting an approach that promotes housing stability with support services to ensure the dignity of individuals.
• As part of the Canada-Prince Edward Island Agreement for this initiative, over $1 million in federal funding will be provided to support CERP activities in Charlottetown. 
• Federal funding provided for this agreement is part of a $250 million commitment, outlined in Budget 2024, to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness across Canada.
• The $250 million investment from the federal government is a tool to coordinate matching funds from provincial and territorial governments to address encampments throughout the country.
• The UHEI builds on existing programs like Reaching Home, through which the federal government is investing $5 billion over nine years to address homelessness across Canada.
• Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy supports the goals of Canada's Housing Plan and the National Housing Strategy – to support the needs of the most vulnerable Canadians and to improve access to safe, stable and affordable housing. 
• $15.6 million is allocated to communities in Prince Edward Island through Reaching Home, over nine years from 2019-20 through 2027-28.
  • This includes $10.5 million allocated to Charlottetown and Summerside through the  Designated Communities stream
• In Prince Edward Island, since 2019, Reaching Home has assisted nearly 500 people in obtaining more stable housing and provided over 480 people with homelessness prevention services.
• In Prince Edward Island, Reaching Home funding is managed by the John Howard Society of Prince Edward Island
• Since 2015, the federal government has helped almost two million Canadians find a place to call home. 

 Associated links 

Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy
Canada's National Housing Strategy
Canada's Housing Plan 
UHEI Announcement – New Brunswick
UHEI Announcement – Newfoundland and Labrador
UHEI Announcement - City of London
UHEI Announcement - Quebec
UHEI Announcement - Northwest Territories
UHEI Announcement - Yukon
Building Together: Prince Edward Island Housing Strategy 2024-2029

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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

For more information (media only), please contact: Sofia Ouslis, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, [email protected]; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; April Gallant, Senior Communications Officer, Government of Prince Edward Island, 902-314-2753, [email protected]