Federal government looks to prod social innovation in bid to fight homelessness

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Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the money will go to projects that reduce or prevent homelessness among aboriginals, youth, veterans and women fleeing violence.

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The new funding streams were unveiled weeks after Duclos asked his department to go back to the drawing board on how to dole out the $12.5 million set aside in the budget for the Innovative Solutions to Homelessness program.

Over the last two years, the program has given out money to “unsolicited projects on a case-by-case basis,” officials told Duclos in late June. By then, the government had already allocated $2.2 million to four projects designed to collect more data about homelessness and test new ways of tracking and serving homeless people.

Duclos’ officials came up with options for the rest of the money. The details have been blacked out from a June 22 briefing note obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. Whatever they were, Duclos sent the note back to the department on July 20 saying he wanted additional funding options.

At Monday’s announcement, Duclos said the government wants to try new things when it comes to social programs.

“To do different things means listening to what we hear from the community,” Duclos said at Monday’s announcement at the University of Ottawa.

It also means collaboration between the social and private sectors, he said.

The federal government has shown a key interest in social finance strategies, where the private investors fund social programs like job skills training, in hopes of realizing a return on their investment by way of a government payment. For the government, the risk is transferred to the private investor and the payouts only happen if there is a measurable social impact that reduces government costs through reduced EI payments, for example.

Duclos said the government remains committed to the idea and exporting innovative practices used in cities like Ottawa to other municipalities.

“It is now time for the Canadian government to renew and demonstrate its leadership in social innovation and bring our partners together to address major social issues like homelessness,” he said.

Jordan Press, The Canadian Press