CanadaHow does the National Housing Strategy aim to reduce homelessness?
The National Housing Strategy reduces homelessness by funding affordable and social housing through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), guided by the National Housing Act’s goals of housing affordability, choice, and adequate funding.
What the Law Says
The National Housing Act sets the legal foundation for federal housing initiatives, including those under the National Housing Strategy (NHS), which explicitly targets homelessness reduction through targeted investments in affordable and social housing.
The National Housing Act establishes the overarching purpose of federal housing policy. Section 3 states that its goal is to 'promote housing affordability and choice, facilitate access to and competition in the provision of housing finance, and protect the availability of adequate funding for housing.' This purpose directly supports the NHS’s mission to reduce homelessness by ensuring stable, accessible, and affordable housing options.
Section 61 authorizes the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to make expenditures for housing programs — including social housing and affordable housing — which are central to the NHS’s homelessness interventions. These programs fund new builds, repairs, rent supplements, and supports for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Statutory TextThe purpose is to promote housing affordability and choice, facilitate access to and competition in the provision of housing finance, and protect the availability of adequate funding for housing.
— National Housing Act, s. 3 — Purpose
Statutory TextCMHC may make expenditures for housing programs including social housing and affordable housing.
— National Housing Act, s. 61 — Affordable housing programs
What to Do
Contact your local housing authority or CMHC to learn about NHS-funded programs in your community.
Apply for supportive housing, rent supplements, or shelter diversion programs administered under NHS partnerships.
Advocate for local implementation of NHS commitments — including rapid housing initiatives and Indigenous-led housing projects.
Access services through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, the NHS’s dedicated homelessness funding stream.
Sources
Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.