During the past summer a constituent told me she had written to the Department of Human Resources and Social Development asking what our government was doing about Homelessness. She was impressed with the reply she received and said “your government is doing a lot”.

Our government will invest more in affordable and supportive housing this year than any government in history. We are currently spending more than $2.7 billion annually.

Over the past weeks, more than 505 projects worth almost $150 million across Canada, under the Federal Government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy have been approved. The Homelessness Partnering Strategy is providing $269.6 million over two years to help communities across Canada combat homelessness more effectively.

Our Conservative Government also put $800 million in trust for affordable housing projects which can be accessed by provincial governments.

The initiatives taken by our government can only be exercised if there is a willing partner. Whether a not-for-profit society or a provincial government body, the federal government wants partners so decisions on strategies can be made locally as well as administered locally.

Many of the issues around homelessness have to do with mental health and substance addiction. Our government is moving forward on the Senate Report on Mental Health, “Out of the Shadows” with an investment of $110 million to the Mental Health Commission in budget 2008. This would support demonstration projects focused on mental health and homelessness, building on the $15 million per year investment to establish the Mental Health Commission.

The purpose of this initiative is to give a hand-up not a hand-out. The objective is to help Canadians that are most vulnerable move forward to independence and away from dependence on government.

These issues have been talked about in the past and our government is taking action to provide solutions to real problems.

Colin Mayes MP Okanagan-Shuswap