Veterans Affairs Committee on Nov. 22nd, 2018

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Good afternoon, everybody. I'd like to call the meeting to order.

This is our 100th meeting. The Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs resumes its studies on homeless veterans and on medical cannabis and veterans’ well-being.

In relation to the study on homeless veterans, we are pleased to welcome Debbie Lowther, chair and co-founder of VETS Canada; and Ray McInnis, director of veterans services, Dominion Command, along with Dave Gordon, homeless veterans representative, Dominion Command of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Unfortunately, Ken Hoffer, president of the Society of Atlantic Heroes Recovery, had to decline his appearance for health reasons. He'll try to appear at his convenience.

Witnesses, you have up to 10 minutes for your opening statements. A round of questions will follow.

I'll start with Ms. Lowther.

The floor is yours.

[Debbie Lowther, Chair and Co-founder, VETS Canada]

Mr. Chair, ladies and gentlemen of the committee, my name is Debbie Lowther. I am the chair and co-founder of VETS Canada. Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today, and thank you for undertaking this very important study of homeless veterans. It is a privilege for me to be here to share some of our insight as it pertains to the topic.

VETS Canada is a national not-for-profit organization with an aim to provide assistance to veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP who are homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless. We were founded in 2010 and are located across the country, with hundreds of dedicated volunteers who directly assist veterans. With a headquarters in Halifax and our volunteers across the country, we have responded to over 6,000 requests for assistance from veterans and their families from coast to coast, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. We are currently taking between 200 and 300 requests for assistance each month.

Those requests come to us in a variety of ways, through our 1-888 phone line, our website or social media platforms, and most recently through our newly opened veterans drop-in and support centre here in Ottawa as well as our recently announced veterans support centre in Edmonton. Some of those referrals are from other organizations or agencies. Approximately half of our referrals each month come from Veterans Affairs Canada case managers.

Since 2010 we've certainly learned a great deal about veteran homelessness. We've learned that there is a uniqueness to it that sets it apart from civilian homelessness. To understand veteran homelessness, one must first understand that serving in the military is not just a job or a career; it is a culture all on its own. When you serve in the military, it becomes your identity. Military members are those who are willing to lay down their lives in service to their country, and in order to do so, they develop incredible bonds with their fellow military members.

We know that there are many pathways into homeless, such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, job loss or instability, mental illness and addictions, physical health problems, family or domestic violence, and family or marital breakdown. What sets veterans apart is that they not only deal with all of these same issues but they also struggle with their transition from military to civilian life. I talked about the military being a unique culture. Well, now the veteran is trying to adapt to a new civilian culture, feeling as though they have lost their identity and doing so without the social support network that was always so important.

Our organization conducted a very informal research project. We surveyed a small sampling of veterans we had assisted. We were surprised to hear that the majority of veterans surveyed identified a lack of social support as a bigger issue than health concerns or financial issues.

That survey also told us that the first episode of homelessness did not occur for an average of 11 years post-release. The average length of service was less than 10 years, so there was no annuity in place, and the ranks were sergeant and below.

Since you are the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs and since half of our referrals come from the department each month, I will talk about our experience as it pertains to our efforts to assist homeless veterans in collaboration with the department.

In 2014 we were awarded a contract by Veterans Affairs Canada, making us their service providers in the field of homeless and in-crisis veteran outreach. That contract ended at the end of September of this year and was not renewed or extended. We were told in June that this would be the case, but we were told to apply for the new veteran and family well-being fund. We were told on September 28 that our application had been approved.

To be clear, we are grateful to the government for the new funding, but the funding that we asked for as part of this new source of funding, based on an increasing need in this area, was only partially approved by the department. We received only half of what we asked for, half of what we need to do our work assisting veterans and their families. As I said, we are grateful for the funding but disappointed that the department has determined that this issue of homeless veterans does not warrant a dedicated service provider.

On June 7 this year, Veterans Affairs held a round table on veteran homelessness which included people from over 60 organizations. The group included researchers, staff from organizations that serve veterans but not specifically homeless veterans, as well as staff from various shelters across the country. VETS Canada, the Royal Canadian Legion, and maybe two or three other organizations were, honestly, the only groups who could say that they occupy the homeless veterans space specifically. Many of the people who were in my breakout group were very frank about the the fact that they were there to learn, because while they may have veterans accessing their shelters or services, they did not have an understanding of the uniqueness of veteran homelessness.

One of the outcomes of this round table was an interactive map, featured on the Veterans Affairs website, with links to over 100 organizations across the country. Most of those organizations are shelters. I count only eight veteran-specific organizations, and of those, one is an organization that brings groups together to network and raise awareness. It does not provide a service to veterans. Two are organizations that are in the process of building housing for homeless veterans, but at this point that housing does not exist.

The interactive map has the Royal Canadian Legion located in Ontario only and VETS Canada located in Halifax only, when we are both national organizations.

My intention here is not to sound critical or negative, but this has become a very crowded landscape and more than anything, homeless veterans, like all homeless people, want to receive help from a credible organization that is going to deliver on what they say they can do. They're not interested in dealing with a connecting agency or a middleman that is just going to refer them to someone else.

We do not naively think that one organization can solve this issue. We realize it takes a collaborative effort, but we also know that a veteran is more likely to accept help from someone who speaks their language, who understands their culture and who can provide immediate support.

In closing, VETS Canada will continue to do its work, regardless of the support we receive or the challenges we face. Our commitment remains strong and resolute, that being to provide emergency support to veterans and their families in need, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from coast to coast.

Mr. Chair, thank you.

I look forward to your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you, and now we'll turn the floor over to the Royal Canadian Legion.

Mr. McInnis.

[Raymond McInnis, Director, Veterans Services, Dominion Command, Royal Canadian Legion]

Honourable Chairman and members of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, thank you for inviting the Royal Canadian Legion to address you today on your study, which will focus mainly on the challenges faced by homeless veterans, the causes that lead to their homelessness, and Veterans Affairs Canada's efforts to address this issue.

On behalf of our dominion president, Comrade Tom Irvine, and our members, I am the director of veterans services at the national headquarters of the Legion here in Ottawa. With me today is comrade Dave Gordon, the homeless veterans representative on our national veterans service and seniors committee.

I'd like to start with some important background that I think is a crucial backdrop to addressing possible solutions. While in the military, individuals are indoctrinated into a regimented system, believing that this system will always look after them. They accept the military culture of teamwork, and rely heavily on that team for support. It becomes part of their very fabric. For some, leaving that lifestyle is a difficult process. Many never truly leave the military culture.

Many factors can impede a smooth transition from military life. Each individual undergoing transition has unique challenges. Military life provides a secure and stable financial environment even when operational deployments are dangerous. Service personnel and their families grow with the military culture and have relatively comfortable lives. In essence, the military is part of their extended family. The bond is strong, and it is hard, if not impossible, for some to break.

The range of issues today, from mental health to severe disability, also complicates the transition process. Mental health is often an unseen disability. Acceptance of the problem, with programs designed to benefit those suffering, has yet to be fully realized. Stigma is a major factor, although great strides have been made to overcome it. Often, multiple disabilities combine to create very complicated cases involving not only physical but also mental health issues. Long-term treatments can be required before someone can achieve their new normal.

The question we need to consider is this: What is the best course of action to help such individuals, people who can ultimately slide down that slippery slope towards homelessness? Regardless of the stage of service—before, during, or after—it is important that all personnel understand the consequences of their service and have confidence in the system. Frankly, it starts here, with the support of the government that ultimately makes the decision to place Canadian service personnel in harm's way. Personnel have to understand and truly know that the system they have been indoctrinated into will look after them and their families without fail.

I'd like to share a little more perspective. Even in normal, non-injury transitional situations, I have seen people who have difficulty leaving the sanctuary of military life. Everything was provided for them. Now they are left to deal with what feels like a foreign world to arrange health care and other services that were once provided by the military. For those who are transitioning with more complex issues, extra care is needed. Knowledge and communication are paramount throughout a military career so that those who need assistance know how to access it. I must emphasize again that whether issues are apparent or not, people who leave service need to understand and trust that support will be there when and if needed.

The Canadian Armed Forces stated that it would revamp the complete transitional process and ensure that only those who are fit to be transitioned are. Close coordination between the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada are essential to ensure that no one falls through the cracks and that continuous support is provided throughout. The ultimate aim is that a service person and their family can smoothly reintegrate into life outside the military. This will be a much-needed and positive step.

I mention all of this because it is crucial to know about a veteran's state of being during the transition period in terms of understanding the fundamental factors that can contribute to homelessness.

The Royal Canadian Legion has learned a lot about homelessness over the years, and I'd like to provide a basic overview. We help veterans and their families members get off the streets and turn their lives around through national and provincial programs. We offer financial assistance and other supports for homeless veterans and for those who are at risk of homelessness.

In 2012 the Legion established a national homeless veterans program called Leave the Streets Behind. It was based on the groundbreaking work of Ontario Command a few years earlier. The program's mission is to reach out to homeless or near-homeless veterans by providing immediate financial assistance and support when and where needed. It also connects them with the appropriate social and community services to establish a long-term solution to meet their needs.

We committed $500,000 towards combatting homelessness in 2012. We are still working towards the goal of ensuring that every Legion provincial command establishes a homeless veterans program tailored to meet their unique regional and community needs.

Ontario's was the first provincial command to develop and offer the Leave the Streets Behind program in November 2009. Through their efforts, the Legion established a network of support through Veterans Affairs and various shelters across the province to provide transition assistance to homeless veterans. Through the generosity of Ontario Command branches and the Legion's ladies auxiliaries in the region, they have disbursed over $2 million. They have a partnership with Mainstay Housing in Toronto and are supporting three locations in Toronto: Parliament Street, Bathurst Street and 10 apartments in the Pan Am village. To date, Ontario Command has assisted 667 homeless veterans in 139 communities in Ontario, and that includes 62 female homeless veterans.

B.C./Yukon Command provides financial support for Veterans Manor in Vancouver's east side and for Cockrell House in Victoria, a transition house that is presently full. There are nine rooms there, and they are constantly full.

Alberta/Northwest Territories Command operated a food bank for over 20 years and today works directly with the Calgary Food Bank to assist many veterans in the community. The command is also engaged with first responders, social services and Veterans Affairs Canada in identifying and assisting homeless veterans. Although they do not keep detailed statistics, their estimate for providing emergency shelter for veterans in the past three years would be over 60 veterans and families. The number of veterans who they have helped with rent to ensure they do not become homeless would be more than double that number.

Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command launched the veterans outreach program, bringing together community resources and establishing partnerships to provide proactive assistance to homeless veterans.

Those are four key examples of concerted work in the area of homelessness within our commands. Not all commands collect statistics on homeless veterans with the same detail as the Ontario Command, but all branches and commands have assisted homeless veterans in various ways.

I can tell you that the overarching message is clear: The system of helping homeless veterans is not one size fits all. We all know that the reasons for homelessness are complex and are the result of the combination of a number of factors: mental illness, substance abuse, poverty, a poor labour market, a decrease in affordable housing and catastrophic events such as family violence or family breakup. We have learned that giving someone a roof does not fix the problems that pushed him or her into homelessness in the first place. We first ensure that they have secure shelter and work with them to determine the problem and then the best way to solve the root of the problem.

We have heard, for example, that some homeless veterans do not actually want the social responsibility of having and maintaining accommodations. While there is no single solution, we felt that we had to start somewhere. Recognizing the need for a coordinated national strategy to address the issues facing homeless veterans, the Legion coordinated and hosted a homeless veterans forum in April 2014. This meeting brought together national organizations working with homeless individuals, but with a key focus on veterans. It was determined that further efforts to address veterans homelessness could benefit from establishing a smaller working group to define the best path to combat veteran homelessness.

The Royal Canadian Legion Veterans Homelessness Advisory Committee was formed and is chaired by our dominion president. There are representatives from Veterans Affairs Canada, CAF, the Salvation Army, the Good Shepherd Ministries, the Mental Health Commission of Canada, ESDC, the Ontario provincial command of the Legion and VETS Canada.

Together, we are gaining a better understanding of the problem and are networking and discussing solutions. The forum and our working group have helped identify priority areas and knowledge gaps. Let me name the key ones: transition barriers; outreach and communication; services and programs; and, accessibility and coordination of efforts.

Why do we have so many homeless veterans? Consultations like the ones I've just described have told us why. Now we need to focus on solutions.

Veterans Affairs Canada is the department responsible for looking after our veterans, so I ask now, why doesn't Canada have a national strategy on tackling veterans homelessness? In 2016 we were briefed on a VAC homelessness strategy and action plan in the works that would be veteran-centric, evidence informed and outcome based. We were told that it would enable VAC and partners to better find and assist homeless veterans and veterans in crisis and prevent veteran homelessness. To date, we have seen no sign of progress.

Comprehensive case management to include assistance in finding housing and connections to supports within the community are required now.

A life skills program to provide learning and networking opportunities for veterans is needed now. Veterans served and sacrificed for our country, and it is our duty to now stand for them and ensure that they have access to the care and support they need.

On behalf of all of our veterans, I ask, when can we expect a national strategy to combat veteran homelessness?

Chairman, we thank you for the opportunity to make this presentation, and we await your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you.

Mr. McColeman, you have six minutes.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Lowther and Mr. McInnis, for your two organizations' focus on this all-important issue of veterans homelessness.

A couple of weeks ago, we found out that the veterans emergency fund six months into the fiscal year had only 35% of funding remaining. The question was asked as to what will happen after the fund is depleted. The answer was that the government would fall back on your organizations to pick up the slack. Were you aware that this was the comment of the government? What's your reaction to it?

[Raymond McInnis]

No, I was not aware that was the comment made.

I know of the veterans emergency fund. We've been dealing with it since it came out across the country in various forms. We have always, I would say, backed up the emergency fund on many occasions across the country, but I was not aware of that statement. Why could they not reload that budget? If the budget is for the emergency fund and there's money, in fact, that should be replenished based on how much they're using and the number of occasions. I have yet to see the budget saying 35% left, or how much they had. I know they can contribute up to only $2,500 per individual. We contribute more than that, so I'd like to see more than that. It should be replenished.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Do you have any comments, Ms. Lowther?

[Debbie Lowther]

I also had not heard that statement, but I can say that, even with money still left in the emergency fund, we are backing them up now in situations where they cannot authorize use of the emergency funds or in cases where they don't want to submit the application for the emergency funds. They are relying on us now even with funds remaining in the fund.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Your testimony was that you are receiving about half of what the demand and need from Veterans Affairs Canada is. Is that 50% shortfall then picked up through the other revenue you receive from other organizations that back your work?

[Debbie Lowther]

Yes, the shortfall is picked up through private donations from kind and caring Canadians.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Are those coming through organizations like True Patriot Love and others that are fundraising for veterans on various fronts?

[Debbie Lowther]

Yes, we have in the past received a few grants from True Patriot Love.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Okay.

Mr. McInnis, are there any comments from you? Is this coming out of poppy fund revenue? Is it to pick up the shortfall that the government's not funding?

[Raymond McInnis]

I wouldn't call it a shortfall that the government's not funding so much as if there's a veteran out there who's in financial need—as you know, or maybe you don't know, the Royal Canadian Legion doesn't accept any government funding. All of our funding is done through the poppy fund and operational funds. We have a national Dominion Command poppy trust fund. Every command has a trust fund as well. Certain commands, like Ontario—and I'll let Dave speak to that—have their own homeless veterans fund. When it comes to the poppy fund, as long as the veteran is in need and they come to us, we will assist them.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Okay.

We read in our briefing documents that a survey done by ESDC estimated that there are approximately 2,250 homeless veterans on the streets. Does that number jibe with the numbers you're experiencing in terms of demand, 2,250 on the streets? I shouldn't say on the streets. I guess the word is homeless. Sorry.

[Dave Gordon, Homeless Veterans Representative, Dominion Command, Royal Canadian Legion]

I would suggest to you that it's a false statement. I was asked by a reporter, probably four years ago now, how many homeless veterans there were. I answered, “How many snowflakes fell in the last snowstorm? Nobody knows.”

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Okay.

[Dave Gordon]

We're finding that a lot of veterans don't want to identify. In fact, in my hometown we have a homeless veteran living in a tent. We recently offered to get him off the street. His basic response was, “Leave me alone. I don't want your help.” There are individuals who do not want help.

As to the number, 2,000 or whatever it was, nobody knows.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

I understand with regard to the issue of the veteran who is out there. In fact, some homeless people care not to have help for whatever reason. What techniques do you have or what things are you doing to address the issue and to make a breakthrough to the individuals you discover are veterans? Are you doing anything that you consider to be innovative in terms of an approach that brings them out of the condition they have found themselves in?

[Dave Gordon]

When we first started, we offered a shopping bag from Shoppers Drug Mart. We went through Moss Park one time in Toronto and saw seven of those bags. We offer kits, or backpacks now, to Veterans Affairs. Most Veterans Affairs offices in Ontario have them. Hopefully, they'll be across the country soon. We offer those. A lot of times it takes more than one visit or one chat with a homeless veteran to get them to trust. Maybe it will be the second or third time we'll offer the backpack or the veteran's caseworker will offer the backpack.

We also provide gift cards, such as Tim Hortons cards. We'll take them to Tim Hortons and sit down and have a coffee and donut or sandwich or whatever it is they want. We offer them gift cards. If we find accommodation for them, our ladies' auxiliary will furnish the apartment. We provide apartment kits with a $250 value. They have dinner plates, any cutlery, or whatever you need to start up in an apartment.

We just signed this week our third dental program with St. Joseph's Health Care in London. We also have a dental program in Ottawa and Toronto.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you.

Mr. Eyolfson.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank all of you for coming.

Ms. Lowther, could you speak to what metrics you use to identify and track veterans who are either homeless or at risk of being homeless? Are there any indicators that can be used to help track this?

[Debbie Lowther]

We use a two-pronged approach, proactive and reactive. Proactively, we have volunteers who actually go out into the streets. They walk the streets and visit the shelters looking for veterans and offering assistance. On the reactive side, we do take referrals from other organizations and from veterans themselves.

With regard to tracking them, we do keep a comprehensive database of all of the veterans who come our way. A good portion of what we do is on the prevention side. When veterans come forward who may not be homeless but look like they're on that trajectory, we pay closer attention to those veterans. We want to get to the root cause of why they are at risk.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Thank you.

Mr. Gordon and Mr. McInnis, do you have anything to add to that?