Government Operations Committee on Sept. 22nd, 2026

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thanks very much.

Do you mind if I ask a couple of quick questions?

Mr. Freeman, you had numbers from March 2026. The departmental plan refers back to the 2021 census for the number of those identified as homeless. Are those the most recent numbers? Where are the March 2026 numbers coming from?

[Mitch Freeman]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The homelessness numbers come from our colleagues at HICC, who do point-in-time counts and shelter surveys to identify the number of homeless veterans who are utilizing those services.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

They're updated, I guess, when the actual census is done.

Do you have a breakdown of—I hate the term “root causes”—the root causes for the homelessness? How much is drug-related? How much is mental health-related? How much is financial stress?

[Mitch Freeman]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

You can get back to the committee with that, if you have—

[Mitch Freeman]

Yes. It would probably be best to provide that information back to the committee.

Certainly, a veteran experiences the same indicators as a Canadian, plus—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I figured as much, but I'm curious. If you could provide that, it would be wonderful. I would appreciate that.

[Mitch Freeman]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Mr. Bragdon, you wanted to ask something really quickly.

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Yes. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

[Technical difficulty—Editor] any documentation that was brought forth as it pertains to the decision that was made around the repurposing of St. Luke's Chapel at base Gagetown. If you could provide that to the chair of the committee, that would be great.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Is that something you can get to us, Mr. Freeman?

[Mitch Freeman]

Certainly. I can provide what we have in Veterans Affairs Canada, which I suspect is minimal. Directing the question to our CAF colleagues may be more appropriate.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Minimal is better than nothing.

That's wonderful.

We're going to suspend for about five minutes, and then we'll bring in our new witnesses. The new witnesses are in the room already, so let's keep it to five minutes, please. Thanks very much.

Mr. Freeman and Ms. Pham, thanks for being with us.

We are suspended.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thank you, everyone, for your patience. We are back in session.

Mr. Field and Ms. Lowther, welcome to OGGO. I understand that each of you has an opening statement.

Ms. Lowther, the floor is yours for five minutes, and then we'll hear from Mr. Field.

Please go ahead.

[Debbie Lowther, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Veterans Emergency Transition Services]

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today on behalf of Veterans Emergency Transition Services, or VETS Canada.

In April 2024, it was reported that the federal government planned to divest 14 surplus properties for housing. Among those properties was the Amherst armoury in Nova Scotia. When the announcement was made, we contacted former member of Parliament Bill Casey, who had been working with a group of people for many years to save that armoury. Amherst is my husband's hometown, and Mr. Casey is a family friend. We immediately arranged a meeting with Mr. Casey, the then mayor of Amherst and the CAO of the Town of Amherst to discuss what might be possible. We shared our vision for the armoury, and there was strong support.

Our vision includes approximately 18 one-bedroom units for homeless and disadvantaged veterans, along with a VETS Canada office staffed by trained social services workers, who could provide the wraparound supports. The armoury previously housed the Nova Scotia Highlanders Regimental Museum, and we envision the museum remaining there and being enhanced. Most importantly, we want to preserve this recognized federal heritage building as a landmark and a living monument to the thousands of soldiers who trained there for three wars, including the 486 who trained there but never made it home.

We believe that VETS Canada is well suited to operate such a facility. Since our founding in 2010, we have worked directly with veterans in communities across Canada, providing immediate practical support to Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP veterans who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or experiencing crisis.

This frontline experience has taught us an important lesson: Veteran homelessness is rarely just a housing issue. A veteran may need a roof over their head, but they may also be dealing with food insecurity, financial instability, difficulty navigating government programs, challenges transitioning from military to civilian life, or the loss of the community and sense of belonging that came with military service.

This is why we strongly support exploring the use of surplus and underused federal lands and buildings for veterans housing and services, but we would encourage the government to think beyond simply converting surplus properties into housing units. The real opportunity is to create veteran-focused community hubs in which housing and support services exist together.

Imagine a facility in which a veteran experiencing homelessness can access safe, affordable housing while also receiving assistance with food security, financial support, employment, benefits navigation, mental health referrals and other practical needs. Imagine that same facility providing a place for veterans to gather for peer support, programming, financial literacy, cooking programs or simply a cup of coffee with someone who understands their experiences. That connection matters.

Military service creates a powerful sense of community. When someone leaves the Canadian Armed Forces—particularly when the transition is difficult—losing that sense of community can have a profound impact. Veteran-focused facilities can help rebuild the connection while providing the practical assistance that veterans need.

We also believe the federal government has an opportunity to work with established and vetted veteran-serving organizations. Organizations across Canada already have the relationships, knowledge and experience necessary to support veterans. What many lack is affordable, appropriate physical space. Making suitable federal properties available through long-term leases, nominal cost arrangements, transfers or partnerships could allow these assets to support veterans and communities for decades.

There is also a practical economic argument. When a federal building is vacant or significantly underused, Canadians continue to carry the cost of that asset while receiving limited public benefit. Repurposing appropriate properties for veterans housing and services can turn an underused government asset into a lasting community asset. We encourage the government to consult with veterans and veteran-serving organizations and, when appropriate properties are identified, to move forward without unnecessary delay.

Canada already owns these assets, while veteran-serving organizations already possess much of the expertise needed to deliver service and communities across the country have veterans who need affordable housing, practical support and connection. Bringing those three things together could create something far more valuable than simply disposing of surplus property. It could create places in which veterans could stabilize their lives, reconnect with communities and move forward with dignity.

We strongly support the committee's exploring a model that prioritizes veterans housing, integrated support services, partnerships with established veteran-serving organizations and long-term community benefit.

I will close with one of our VETS Canada tag lines, which summarizes our core belief: “Those who protected our home should never be without one.”

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today and for undertaking this important study.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Field, go ahead, please.

[Brad Field, President, Homes For Heroes Foundation]

Members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear here today. I'm the president and CEO of Homes For Heroes Foundation. Our mission is simple: to help end veteran homelessness in Canada.

However, I'm here today to speak about something larger, which is the opportunity created by motion number 16 and what Canada can do with federal assets it already owns. Motion 16 asks this committee to examine how underused and surplus federal lands and buildings could be put to work serving veterans and strengthening communities. I would suggest that this is not simply a question about surplus real estate. It is a question about what Canada chooses to do with assets it already owns.

Across Canada there are federal properties that are vacant, underused or approaching the end of their current purpose. At the same time, veterans are struggling with affordable housing, access to services, employment and successful transitions to civilian life. These two realities should not exist independently of one another.

At Homes For Heroes, we have seen what happens when housing is combined with community and meaningful support. Our approach is not simply to provide a roof. We provide veterans with a home, a community and wraparound supports that help them address the challenges contributing to housing instability and help them rebuild their lives. We have learned something very important: Housing is the platform, while community is the catalyst and support makes the transition sustainable.

We believe that federal land and buildings can provide the platform on a much larger scale. We're not suggesting that every surplus federal property become a veterans village. We are suggesting that the federal government establish a deliberate, repeatable framework for identifying suitable properties and matching them with qualified organizations capable of serving veterans. Imagine a formal federal facility becoming a place where veterans can live, access services, pursue employment and training, connect with other veterans and become a part of the surrounding community. This is the opportunity before this committee. It is an opportunity that can bring together the federal government, provinces, municipalities, indigenous communities, veteran organizations, housing providers and private sector partners.

There is also a strong economic argument. We should not view this solely as a government expenditure. We should view it as an investment in people and communities by using assets it already owns. The land has value and the building has value, but when we combine those assets with housing, services, employment pathways and community partnerships, we create something far more valuable: the opportunity for a veteran to regain stability, independence and purpose.

This is also an opportunity to be proactive. Canada is investing significantly in our armed forces, and the veteran population will continue to evolve. We should not wait until a veteran is homeless before asking where the veteran can go. We should build infrastructure, partnerships and pathways before this crisis occurs.

My recommendation to this committee is straightforward. I encourage you to examine the creation of a federal veteran community asset strategy, a framework through which surplus and underused federal properties can be identified, evaluated and made available for veteran-serving purposes when there are demonstrated need and a qualified operating partner. The framework should consider the location and suitability of federal properties, the housing and service needs of veterans in the surrounding community, partnerships with organizations with demonstrated veteran-serving experience, sustainable operating and funding models, and measurable outcomes and accountability for Canadians. Homes For Heroes would welcome the opportunity to contribute our experience to that work.

Ending veteran homelessness will not be accomplished by one organization, one government or one program. It requires partnership, innovation and the willingness to see an old problem through a new lens.

Members of the committee, Canada asked these men and women to serve. Our responsibility does not end when their military service ends. If Canada owns the land, if Canada owns these buildings and if Canadians need housing and services, then we have an obligation to ask, “How can these assets serve Canadians who served us?”

Motion 16 gives us the opportunity to begin answering this question, so I encourage this community to be ambitious. Do not simply study the surplus federal property; study what those properties could become. They could become homes. They could become communities. They could become centres of service, transition and opportunity. Ultimately, they could become places where veterans rebuild their lives and where they once again become an integral part of communities they served to protect.

Thank you, members of the committee. I look forward to your questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

That's perfect. You had two seconds to spare. Thanks very much.

We'll start our six-minute round with Mrs. Cobena.

Please go ahead.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses for being with us this morning.

I have some questions for Ms. Lowther, to begin with.

You and your volunteers go out and find veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. How many veterans in a housing crisis does VETS Canada encounter in a typical year?

[Debbie Lowther]

We support anywhere between 400 and 600 veterans a year. Many of them are at risk of homelessness. I would say probably about 80% are at risk and 20% are actually homeless.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Would you say that you have difficulty finding veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness?

[Debbie Lowther]

No. Out of the 400 to 600 whom we support in a year, about 80% are referred to us by Veterans Affairs Canada. There's no shortage.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

We have learned that approximately $3 million was transferred out of the program, which would have helped veterans who are facing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. It was stated that they couldn't find ex-military who were in need. Does this explanation make sense to you?

[Debbie Lowther]

No, not even a little. We would have gladly taken that $3 million. Brad and I probably would have fought each other for it.

[Brad Field]

We'd arm-wrestle.