More funding for Veterans programs including those experiencing homelessness

On Wednesday – at Montreal’s Old Brewery Mission – the Minister of Veterans Affairs Lawrence MacAulay announced investments that will further support Veterans through a variety of projects that address homelessness, help retrain transitioning Veterans, and support employment, while advancing mental health and important research.

“Veterans Affairs Canada ensures that Veterans receive the services, programs and benefits they have rightly earned. But we don’t do it alone. Across the country, organizations have developed innovative programs that enhance the well-being of Veterans and their families. The projects we are funding today help Veterans in a wide variety of ways, including addressing homelessness, retraining, employment, mental health, and research, along with supporting women, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans as well as their families,” said Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.

The Old Brewery Mission, which has been helping veterans experiencing homeless since 2007, says those who are getting referred to them for help are getting younger and have more complex profiles related to physical and mental health issues, as well as challenging administrative or financial situations. The suicide rate among male veterans is also 40 per cent higher than the Canadian average.

The April 2018 census revealed 4.4 per cent of people experiencing homelessness in Montreal identified as Veterans. The Old Brewery Mission says it is currently supporting 47 Veterans in independent housing.

According to the Quebec Veterans Foundation, the average time between leaving the military and the first episode of homelessness is eight years.

This funding will impact, among others, the Old Brewery Mission and it’s Sentinel program, the first long-term initiative of its kind in Quebec.

“The Old Brewery Mission Sentinel program, which assists Veterans experiencing homelessness or precariousness to permanent and safe housing, was created in 2017. The mere existence of this program is a guarantee of success, because no Veteran should be left homeless. We are grateful for the confidence placed in us by Veterans Affairs Canada, which is once again demonstrated by its financial support,” said James Hughes, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Old Brewery Mission.

The purpose of the Sentinels program is to provide veterans with the support they need to stabilize their situation, overcome trauma and chronic homelessness, find suitable housing and reintegrate into the community.

The Veteran and Family Well-being Fund (VFWF) was launched by Veterans Affairs Canada in 2018. It provides grants to organizations for research, Veteran serving initiatives and projects that support the well-being of Veterans and their families. This year, 21 projects have been approved totaling $6M over three years.

The funding will also focus on investments to support women, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans, as well as their families. It will fund a research project from McGill University.

“I am truly honoured and grateful to be part of this initiative that will help better address the needs of Veterans and their families. My study will focus on Veteran women, who face unique challenges throughout their lives. By identifying factors associated with their mental health outcomes, help-seeking needs and preferences, I hope to contribute to the development of improved services and interventions, and ultimately, to their well-being,” said Deborah Da Costa, PhD, Psychologist, Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University

A completed list of the initiatives receiving funding across Canada can be found here.