While the federal government has announced $3.7 million in funding over four years to help Canadian veterans dealing with homelessness in Ottawa, experts say more work is needed to address the root causes of the problem.
Veterans’ House Canada, an organization supporting homeless veterans, will receive more than $2.6 million as part of the initiative.
The funding was unveiled recently at Veterans’ House Canada’s Andy Carswell Building by Veterans Affairs Minister Ginnette Petitpas Taylor and local MPs.
Although veterans make up just one per cent of Canada’s population, they account for four to six per cent of the homeless population, according to Veterans’ House Canada executive director and veteran Alan Mulawyshyn. According to the 2021 census, there are some 2,600 homeless veterans among Canada’s veteran population of 461,240.
Many veterans face challenges returning to civilian life, including mental-health issues, addiction and financial instability.
“When you leave the military, you’re leaving a very specific identity and culture, system [and] hierarchy,” said Mulawyshyn. “It’s daunting to suddenly figure out how to navigate civilian life, like getting a family doctor or making appointments, especially when you’ve never had to do it before.”
Veterans’ struggles are often compounded by limited public understanding of their experiences.
“People thank you for your service, which is great,” he said, “but to understand truly what a veteran has gone through, most people don’t have that reference point.”
According to Veterans’ Affairs Canada, 10 per cent of war zone veterans will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Mayo Clinic says PTSD is a “mental health condition that’s caused by an extremely stressful or terrifying event.” For veterans, the trauma can come from combat, taking part in peacekeeping missions or being in a dangerous war zone.
Accessing government resources can also be difficult.
“You can imagine someone who’s homeless trying to access phone and internet service waiting for response from different levels of government. That’s a lot challenging for them,” said Veterans’ House Canada communications manager John Atoyebi.
Many veterans fall into homelessness gradually, often after years of struggling with PTSD or physical injuries, said Peter Tilley, CEO of the Ottawa Mission. The Ottawa Mission has a city-funded position that supports veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
“They end up sort of alienating themselves when they’re not getting the supports they need,” he said. “It’s a shame when you see a veteran who is entitled to benefits not aware of that or not accessing those benefits.”
In 2023, 20 veterans were provided with case management support and six were housed by the Ottawa Mission.
Other organizations, such as the Royal Canadian Legion, have branches that support veterans, raise funds, organize volunteer efforts and try to create a sense of community through essential services and events.
Veterans’ House Canada takes a “housing-first” approach as the first step toward recovery, said Atoyebi. The Andy Carswell Building offers veterans a safe place to live, along with access to mental health and addiction services. However, demand far exceeds capacity.
“We have a waitlist of more than 30 persons waiting for the next opportunity to come in,” said Atoyebi.
The new federal funding is a boost for Veterans’ House Canada, but Mulawyshyn hopes for more consistent support.
“It’s one-time funding for four years which is great because it gives four years to kind of shore up around it,” he said. “It’d be nice to have a more predictable funding.”
With the new funding, organizations like Veterans’ House Canada are hopeful they can continue to make a difference.
“We’re just proud to see Canadians have Veterans’ House as an opportunity to give back to veterans for their service, for all that they’ve been through,” Atoyebi said, “to then see them within a safe space, you know, slowly recovering and getting the rehabilitation that they need.”
