Minister of Veterans Affairs Kent Hehr speaks to stakeholders and veterans at a stakeholder summit in Ottawa in December. A study from the Government of Canada finds that at least 2,250 veterans are homeless. Now some help may be on the way. We see Kehr behind a podium  Facing him are a man in a suit and a man in a leather jacket on the back of which is written "veterans."

Minister of Veterans Affairs Kent Hehr speaks to stakeholders and veterans at a stakeholder summit in Ottawa in December. A study from the Government of Canada finds that at least 2,250 veterans are homeless. Now some help may be on the way.
Photo Credit: CP Photo / Justin Tang

Subsidies for homeless veterans could be coming

Help may be on the way for former members of the Canadian military who are homeless or face the prospect of having no place to live.

The Canadian Press news agency reports federal officials are prepared to recommend that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government offer rental subsidies to those affected.

A study by Employment and Social Development Canada last year estimated that 2,250 soldiers are using shelters on a regular basis.

That’s about 2.7 per cent of the total homeless population that uses temporary lodging.

According to CP, the strategy also recommends that the government build new housing units specifically for veterans.

The strategy suggests Canada doesn’t have enough units to handle the unique needs of former military members who can have addiction and mental health issues related to their service.

Research shows that that veterans who end up homeless tend to be older than non-veterans who wind up in the same situation.

It also found that former military personnel are more prone to so-called episodic homelessness, people who live on and off the street three more times a year.

In last year’s federal election campaign, Trudeau promised to “reinstate” lifelong pensions for Canada’s injured veterans and pledged $300 million annually to expand and create military support programs.

Benefits only flow to Canadian veterans who can show a link between their military service and their injury or disease.

A final draft of the strategy isn’t expected to be completed and made public until later this year.

With CP and CBC files.

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