Government Operations Committee on Sept. 22nd, 2026

[Mitch Freeman]

As I mentioned, Mr. Chair, as the convenor, we would certainly establish a 360° feedback loop to ensure that those organizations coming forward and inquiring get in contact, and then that the contact is fruitful.

[Pauline Rochefort, Liberal, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

Thanks.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thanks.

Madame Gaudreau, welcome back.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. It's good to see you again. I hope you had a good summer.

We have a lot of work to do, even though we're in a minority position. The role of democracy is to ensure that we get the answers to our questions and also to ensure that services are provided properly. That leads me to mention that I was a member of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs for a year. Greetings to my colleagues who are here today.

It is clear that there are many neglected veterans, and we know very well that the money provided is insufficient. Today, we are looking at a new structure. The questions are precise and clear, but we don't have any answers. Questions have been asked. We know that Veterans Affairs Canada, or VAC, and the Canadian Armed Forces work together.

However, Deputy Minister, for a project like this one, is it normal to work with Public Services and Procurement Canada, or PSPC, to ensure that the services and terms and conditions are appropriate?

[Mitch Freeman]

Mr. Chair, I thank the member for her question.

It is normal for departments to work together to resolve the problems veterans are facing. The two departments, PSPC and VAC, have opportunities for those conversations. That said, I'm happy to receive recommendations from this committee to strengthen and improve that relationship.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Constituents are telling me to ask the question.

We know that the department is lacking money and that services are not fully available. Let's face it: Quality is a work in progress. Why isn't Veterans Affairs Canada being proactive in ensuring proper collaboration with PSPC on a program that can have concrete and significant benefits? Why are we asking the question and being told that the responsibility for this lies elsewhere and that the question should be put to someone else?

I must say that I want to have the answers to all the questions that have been asked by my colleagues. This is important, as it's part of our role.

Can you make a commitment to the people watching us, the veterans who are watching us? Can you say that you will be proactive to ensure that you don't miss a single penny or a single structure? What do you think?

[Mitch Freeman]

If I may, I will answer in English for clarity's sake.

First, I'd like to highlight that the benefit structure from a financial point of view for Veterans Affairs Canada is quasi-statutory in nature, which means that the demand from a veteran point of view is met in Parliament. This means that if 10,000 veterans come forward, the programming is there for 10,000 veterans. From a shortfall conversation of funding to veterans through the benefits and services offered by the department, there is none. That demand is met 100%.

With regard to the second aspect, I think the collaboration between PSPC and Veterans Affairs and all departments is high. The relationships are good. I look forward to the study here. This is a bit of a new conversation for the Department of Veterans Affairs, because we're not real property experts. We have expertise around veterans and the issues they're facing. We're happy to share those with our colleague departments and community organizations, etc., to ensure that veterans have the best services available and that these properties, where they exist in the country, can benefit veterans.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

I still have a few minutes left. We'll get a little more into the concrete side of things.

First, it is said that there are 10,000 veterans with needs. For the people listening to us, yes, it's good to have a response, but is it acceptable to get a response 18 months later when people are suffering? That's the other question. We can play with words when it comes to time frames. If you tell me the time frame is less than two weeks, I can show you that thousands of people are still waiting. They are calling my office.

I understand that collaboration will take place. That's a good thing. However, if PSPC is in charge of the land and the building, what exactly are we talking about? Are we talking about a service centre, housing for veterans or both?

[Mitch Freeman]

Thank you for the question.

I will answer in English for clarity's sake.

PSPC has the responsibility of managing federal assets. From our point of view, we are happy to collaborate here with the committee, as I said in my opening remarks, and with PSPC to share that knowledge and expertise of veterans in order to ensure that these properties can be used appropriately.

As I also said in my opening remarks, the infrastructure of Veterans Affairs Canada is 38 offices across the country and 28 co-locations with Canadian Forces bases to ensure that veterans receive the services and supports that they are so entitled to. Likewise, from an in-person point of view, our most recent client satisfaction survey indicates that 5% of veterans look for in-person services. That infrastructure is there. When it is more convenient, we will have case managers meet veterans in their homes or other convenient locations in that regard to ensure that those needs are met.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thank you, Madame.

Mrs. Cobena, welcome to OGGO. You have five minutes, please.

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

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Freeman, for being with us today. This topic of discussion that we've had so far, particularly around homelessness, is of particular interest to me and to my riding of Newmarket—Aurora. There is a homelessness problem. We see it. It's evident. We see that the need is there.

On that note, could you let us know what official estimate you have of the number of homeless veterans in Canada?

[Mitch Freeman]

Certainly. The most recent data I have from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada is a compilation of point-in-time counts of shelter surveys across the country. It indicates that approximately 1,700 to 1,800 veterans experience homelessness over the course of the year.

I wanted to qualify earlier, Mr. Chair, that this doesn't mean that 1,700 veterans are homeless every day. Throughout the course of the year, 1,700 veterans would experience, or would be at risk of experiencing, homelessness throughout that period of time.

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

What date do you have for that number? What year is it based on?

[Mitch Freeman]

The data I have is from March 2026.

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

Okay.

I have a report from the Government of Canada as of December, and they are estimating around 2,600. Of course, those are the ones we know of. Some of our veterans, people who have served our country, are experiencing homelessness. You would understand why it was shocking to hear that the housing minister decided to transfer approximately $3 million out of a program to help the homeless veterans, claiming that he couldn't find any ex-military in need.

In that vein, when did Veterans Affairs Canada first learn that the $3 million would not be used through the veteran homelessness program?

[Mitch Freeman]

Thank you for the question.

I'd like to highlight two points. The data you're quoting—around 2,600—was a data point from years previous, so we look at veteran homelessness from the point of view of how the 2,600 has come down to 1,700. Many factors in that regard may be contributing to that. Certainly, the veteran homelessness program was implemented during that time frame, so we're quite happy to see those numbers migrate from 2,600 down to 1,700.

As I said to a colleague earlier, any question around funding of the veteran homelessness program really is best suited.... I'm not privy to the internal funding conversations with respect to the veteran homelessness program. What I can say is that the program is delivered in two streams. One is around services supports, and there are about 28 organizations that HICC has entered into contracts with. They have another stream, called “capacity”, which are six organizations that are performing research in this space to have a better understanding of the root cause of veteran homelessness. I look forward, from a Veterans Affairs point of view, to receiving that research data in the coming years to better understand and to then make policy decisions around benefits and services for veterans.

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

You mentioned all the support and the need that veterans do, in fact, have, which is why we see an issue with funding being removed—the $3 million being removed here and transferred elsewhere. This is money that was specifically allocated to help veterans, and Housing took it away. Was your department consulted before this decision was made?

[Mitch Freeman]

As mentioned earlier, the administrator of that program is HICC, and decisions made would be internal to that organization.

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

You were just advised, “We're taking money away”, and that's it. Do you have no input into that?

[Mitch Freeman]

From the veteran homelessness program point of view, our role is collaborating with HICC to establish the wraparound services that veterans obtain as they enter into the program, as well as to identify veterans and bring them into the Veterans Affairs portfolio. Many times, veterans who arrive at the veteran homelessness program may not necessarily be using all the services available from Veterans Affairs.

As I mentioned earlier, from a disability benefit point of view, we have an entire program in that regard. However, more importantly for this particular cohort, it's about rehabilitation and income replacement. That rehabilitation program—

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

May I ask, in that vein, would you have recommended that, instead of the $3 million being taken away, it be reallocated to these services? I ask this because in my riding there's a mental health support organization for veterans, and it's at capacity. Wouldn't those funds have been better allocated to these sorts of services rather than being taken away from the veterans?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Give a brief answer, please.

[Mitch Freeman]

I would say that the veteran homelessness program has assisted more than 1,400 veterans across the country with wraparound services. As mentioned earlier, over 200 have received and found stable housing.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Ms. Fancy, welcome to OGGO. You have five minutes, please.