Ottawa, Alberta reach joint $70-million deal for homelessness response

Ottawa and Alberta have reached a new joint $70-million funding agreement to aid the province's response to homelessness.

Social Services Minister Jason Nixon says the funding is expected to boost shelter capacity, build transitional housing, and support the government's navigation centres in Edmonton and Calgary. Those navigation centres serve as a hub where those experiencing homelessness can go to be referred to available supports and services. Nixon says the funding will be split between Alberta's two major cities as well as Red Deer and Lethbridge.

The deal will see Ottawa provide the province $35 million over the next two years, which the Alberta government says will be matched with its own funding. The agreement between the two orders of government was initially reached last fall but with no dollar figures attached. Edmonton Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault says the only way to tackle homelessness is if all levels of government work together, and this agreement is a significant step toward that goal.

``Eliminating chronic homelessness is everybody's business, and it's going to take a co-ordinated effort to get it done,'' Boissonnault said Tuesday. ``With today's announcement, we're going to see that fewer people than ever are going to call the streets home.''