Absolutely. In my opinion, the federal government must show leadership and help the provinces facing these issues across the country.
My role at the National Housing Council gives me the chance or the opportunity to look at things across the country. I must say that the realities are different in British Columbia, Alberta and Montreal.
This is really important. We need a continuum of services to address homelessness. First, we need upstream prevention. If we can turn off the tap, that will help. However, people will still often end up in difficult situations. At that point, we need to meet with them quickly and help them find programs or housing, which is often transitional.
My colleagues who are with us and my friends at UTILE—hello, Mr. Levesque—have a housing stock. As an organization, we always focus our efforts on programs that help people find permanent housing. That said, the continuum of services remains vital and the federal government must play a role.