Backgrounder

The Homelessness Partnering Strategy

The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) is a unique community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness by providing direct support and funding to 61 communities across Canada. The HPS took effect April 1, 2007, with annual funding of $134.8 million for two years, and was extended in 2008 for a further two years until March 31, 2011.

The HPS provides structures and supports that help people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless achieve self-sufficiency and full participation in society. This model seeks to address homelessness by working in partnership with the provinces and territories, other federal departments, as well as with communities and the private and not-for-profit sectors.

The HPS uses a housing-first approach, recognizing that the first step is to provide individuals with transitional and supportive housing.

The HPS has seven funding streams:

Regionally Delivered:

• Designated Communities
• Outreach Communities
• Aboriginal Communities

Nationally Delivered:

• Federal Horizontal Pilot Projects
• Homelessness Knowledge Development
• Homeless Individuals and Families Information System
• Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative

For more information on the Homelessness Partnering Strategy and the seven funding streams, please visit the following Web site: www.hrsdc.gc.ca/homelessness.

The National Anti-Drug Strategy

The National Anti-Drug Strategy is a collaborative effort involving the Department of Justice, Public Safety Canada and Health Canada, and includes three action plans: preventing illicit drug use; treating those with illicit drug dependencies; and combating the production and distribution of illicit drugs.

Prevention

The Prevention Action Plan focuses on preventing illicit drug use among young people. It will provide information to those most affected by drug use, including parents, young people, educators, law enforcement authorities, and communities.

The Government of Canada has committed $30 million in new funding over five years to support the Prevention Action Plan. This funding will bolster existing prevention efforts.

Treatment

The Treatment Action Plan supports innovative approaches to treating and rehabilitating those with illicit drug addiction who pose a risk to themselves and the community.

The Plan will promote collaboration among governments and support agencies to increase access to drug treatment services.

The Government of Canada has committed over $100 million in new funding over five years to support the Treatment Action Plan. This funding will bolster existing treatment efforts.

Enforcement

The Enforcement Action Plan bolsters law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute drug crimes. It will increase law enforcement's capacity to combat marijuana grow operations, synthetic drug production and distribution operations.

The Government of Canada has committed approximately $102 million in new funding over five years to support the Enforcement Action Plan. An additional $67.7 million in funding will be made available under the Enforcement Action Plan if mandatory minimum penalties are enacted. This funding will bolster existing enforcement efforts.

Progress under the National Anti-Drug Strategy

To date, under the National Anti-Drug Strategy, the Government of Canada has:

• launched a prevention-focused awareness campaign, with input from the National Drug Prevention Advisory Committee, aimed at discouraging illicit drug use;
• announced more than $7 million in funding for Health Canada's Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund to help communities across Canada tackle the increasing challenge of illicit drug use by young people;
• announced $3.3 million in new funding to enhance the ability of the Canada Border Services Agency to inhibit the cross-border flow of illicit drugs;
• announced over $220,000 in funding for a drug treatment intervention program for Aboriginal youth with drug and gang involvement;
• invested $10 million in funding for a Drug Prevention Strategy for Canada's Youth to be developed and implemented by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse;
• invested $8.9 million to strengthen the RCMP's drug enforcement and Proceeds of Crime Teams;
• announced $111 million over five years for Health Canada in new and ongoing funding for critical drug treatment initiatives for provinces and territories;
• invested $30.5 million over five years to bolster services across Canada that will help First Nations and Inuit who suffer from drug addictions, including $2 million dedicated to the Vancouver's Downtown Eastside; and
• announced $10 million to support new treatment services that will help to treat individuals living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.