Headline News

Veterans First program launched to end veteran homelessness

July 23, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The County of Simcoe and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) have launched Veterans First – a program to end veteran homelessness in Simcoe County.

The program recognizes that those who served their country deserve stable housing and support when needed.

The Veterans First project is receiving $465,000 over the next year from the Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund. This is a $45 million federal initiative led by CAEH to fund innovative projects that rapidly and measurably reduce homelessness in communities across the country.

The partnership between the County of Simcoe and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, supported by the Government of Canada, aims to end veteran homelessness by helping local Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP veterans experiencing homelessness move into and maintain permanent housing over the next 12 months.

“When Canadians answer the call to serve, they make extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of our country,” said Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. “Backed by a $465,000 federal investment through the Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund, the Veterans First initiative demonstrates what is possible when communities, organizations and governments work together to support veterans. We commend the County of Simcoe and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness for their leadership and partnership in helping veterans access stable housing and the support they need to build brighter futures.”

Key components of this program include a dedicated team of intensive case managers to work with individual veterans, a landlord liaison to expand housing access, adaptive funding to remove barriers, and enhanced use of Quality By-Name Data to measure results in a timely manner and support the flow of veterans into housing.

Veterans will receive focused services, including trauma-informed care, benefit navigation, and community supports to ensure long-term housing stability and improved well-being. Case Managers will support the development of personalized service plans focused on achieving and maintaining housing, enhancing life skills, improving health and mental health outcomes, increasing income stability, fostering social inclusion, and connecting veterans to community and veteran-specific resources.

“We know this new program will deliver the critical support veterans need and have earned through their service to Canada,” said Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke. “These brave men and women put their communities and their country first. Now it is our responsibility to stand with them. This new Veterans First program reflects our commitment to helping our veterans with more supports when they need it the most.”  

Readers Comments (0)