I also know that the power of connections has to be our working reality in seeking solutions to homelessness. If we don't reach out to each other on all levels of government, we won't solve this problem. Homelessness can only be solved with the cooperation, the input, and the connection of the federal government, provincial governments, municipal governments, the public sector, the private sector, and the business sector. We all have to connect with each other. We have to share this power of connections.
Homelessness is a national issue and it needs to be addressed within a national framework.
We need to make the problems of homeless people a national priority, but we need to find flexible solutions that meet local situations. We need to share our information, share our skills, and share our resources. From all across the country, mayors, police, community leaders, and provincial governments have told me they know what their local communities need. Their consistent message was that they want support from the Government of Canada and they want to see better coordination of existing services to help people who are homeless. That message was repeated loudly and clearly in every community I visited.