Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to seek the support of parliamentarians from all parties to adopt a motion that I believe we can all agree with and that would benefit our country's courageous veterans. The motion calls for the House of Commons to instruct the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates to study the use of underused and surplus federal lands and buildings to support services for our veterans. I would like to thank the member for Cumberland—Colchester for bringing the motion forward, as it clearly demonstrates a commitment to improving access to services that our veterans need.
Most of us are aware of the important work that public servants do at Veterans Affairs Canada to support members who have left the Canadian Armed Forces and who have become veterans. The programs offered by Veterans Affairs do more than make a veteran's life a little easier; they are absolutely a lifeline. These programs provide critical support for veterans facing serious mental health and physical challenges. Just as importantly, they also benefit veterans' families, which play a vital role in the care and well-being of veterans.
There is no greater service to our nation than military service, and our veterans therefore deserve access to the support they need, no matter where they live in this country. In fact, I believe we have an obligation to look into proposals or initiatives brought forward that could help our veterans. We owe it to them to do so, and that is what the motion is about.
As many members of the House are aware, the federal government is the custodian of a large number of underused lands and buildings that have been deemed surplus to federal needs and are being considered for disposal. The intent of the motion, to be clear, is to explore how some of these properties could be repurposed to house and support programs for veterans, who have bravely served our country. For example, surplus properties could be suitable for infrastructure needed to deliver education and training, as well as health care and mental health services, for our veterans.
They could also be used to provide affordable housing, which has been mentioned here today. We know that too many veterans struggle with access to affordable housing, and some are even experiencing homelessness. According to the latest data, it is estimated that approximately 2,000 veterans across Canada experience homelessness every year. Our government has made a commitment to Canadians to address the housing crisis. We have already taken action on this front, as has been talked about today.
In September we launched Build Canada Homes, a new federal agency dedicated to building affordable housing at scale. It is doing that by leveraging public lands, offering financial incentives to builders, attracting private capital and supporting modern infrastructure and manufacturers in building the homes Canadians and veterans need now.
Build Canada Homes will also help address homelessness by building transitional and supportive housing, while working in partnership with provinces, territories, municipalities and indigenous communities. We are also continuing to fund the veteran homelessness program, which was launched in 2023.
In November 2025, the Minister of Veterans Affairs announced an additional $22.5 million in funding to support initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing veteran homelessness in communities from coast to coast to coast. With this funding, the government is partnering with 10 different organizations across Canada, enabling community organizations to deliver tailored services, including housing assistance, mental health and addiction supports, and employment services.
These are important measures, but we know we must do more for our veterans. The truth is that veterans have unique needs and require services specifically tailored to them. If we have surplus buildings, or land for that matter, that could be used to help provide these services, we should endeavour to make this a reality.
There are many factors that cause our veterans to seek support services that they need when they transition from military life to civilian life. The transition, as has been mentioned here today, can be challenging. As military personnel leave a structured environment and adjust to a life that is less predictable and less ordered, finding their footing in these new surroundings can take time and indeed support. There can also be a sense of loss of community when our servicemen and servicewomen leave the military. After years of working and living with tight-knit groups, to suddenly experience an absence of community can be a major adjustment.
Many veterans face physical and mental challenges after leaving the forces, as was brought up here today.
While most of us are familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, there are numerous other physiological and psychological conditions that can affect our veterans. By providing counselling and a range of support services through Veterans Affairs, we can help prevent some of these challenges from developing into more serious illnesses. Therefore, if we are able to leverage some of our surplus land and buildings to transform them into space where more services are available for our veterans, we should examine those possibilities.
When we look ahead and seek to expand our military and increase our troop complement, as we are, we can expect that in the future there will be more veterans who will require services and programs to help them adjust to life outside the military. The member for Cumberland—Colchester is quite right that the government is making historic investments in the Canadian Armed Forces to meet our ambitious and vital NATO funding targets. Increasing the number of service members will naturally lead to a growth in the ranks of Canadian veterans over the next few decades, so we must acknowledge that providing support to our military is more than the acquisition of the tools and equipment they need to do the job. It is about ensuring that the people doing the dangerous jobs and keeping us safe, the armed forces and the veterans, are at the core of this motion.
In closing, I encourage all members of the House to support this motion to initiate a study of the use of underused and surplus federal lands and buildings to support our veterans. We owe it to our veterans who are struggling now and the future veterans who are currently in the military. It is the right thing to do and the Canadian thing to do, so let us do what we all know is right and support the adoption of this motion.