On homelessness, Carney is trying to do what Justin Trudeau couldn't. How he could succeed - Toronto Star

The budget's $30-billion commitment is being praised but experts and advocates say Ottawa will have to think creatively.

Outreach workers distribute cold-weather supplies to encampment residents amid plummeting temperatures in Toronto in January 2025.

The Carney government’s ambitious plan to end homelessness within 10 years has been met with cautious optimism, with experts and advocates saying the feds will need to think outside the box to avoid the fate of previous governments that failed to achieve that goal.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government announced Friday it would invest nearly $30 billion to address the country’s homelessness crisis, which includes $10 billion through Crown corporation Build Canada Homes to build 25,000 supportive and transitional homes nationwide, but also billions for mental health supports and benefits for Canadians on the verge of losing their housing.

At a press conference Friday alongside Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Carney outlined the three-pronged approach of focusing on “help, housing and health.”

“We understand both how difficult this will be, but equally how imperative it is,” Carney said. In Canada, “we do things because they’re right, not because they’re easy.”

The budget also includes another boost to the GST rebate and other tax credits to help those struggling to make ends meet.