Transfer of Homelessness Policy Directorate

Summary#

The government issued the Transfer of Duties Order: SI/2021-97 under the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act to move responsibility for the Homelessness Policy Directorate within the federal public service. The order was signed on October 26, 2021 and registered/published on November 10, 2021.

What it does#

• Moves control and supervision of the Homelessness Policy Directorate from the Department of Employment and Social Development to the Office of Infrastructure of Canada.
• Moves the powers, duties and functions that the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities exercised over that directorate to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion.
• This is an administrative reorganization; the order itself does not say it changes specific programs, funding levels, or services.

Who's affected#

• Staff and managers who work in the Homelessness Policy Directorate.
• The Department of Employment and Social Development and the Office of Infrastructure of Canada, which now takes on supervision.
• The offices of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, which exchange responsibility for that directorate.
• Homelessness service organizations, provincial/territorial partners, and people experiencing homelessness may notice changes in where policy leadership sits or where to send federal inquiries, although the order does not spell out service or funding changes.

Why it matters#

• It changes who leads and coordinates federal policy on homelessness. That can affect priorities, who negotiates with provinces and cities, and where to direct questions about federal homelessness action.
• Because the order is about administrative control, it does not by itself guarantee changes to programs or money; any practical shifts would depend on later decisions by the departments or ministers involved.