Rural and Indigenous Funding Announced

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov 4, 2025

Edmonton, Alberta – November 4, 2025 – The federal government has allocated funding that will allow the Rural Development Network (RDN) to distribute approximately $4.8 million over the next two years to Alberta’s rural, remote, First Nation, Métis Settlement, and Métis communities through the Reaching Home Rural and Remote funding stream under Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.

As the Community Entity for the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home Rural and Remote funding stream in Alberta, the Rural Development Network is currently accepting applications through a Call for Proposals to fund projects that aim to prevent or reduce homelessness in their communities. Alberta’s rural, remote and Indigenous communities and organizations are eligible to apply for funding to conduct projects in 2026-2027 and 2027-2028. Projects may start as early as April 1, 2026 and end as late as March 31, 2028. Priority will be given to projects that are Indigenous led and Indigenous serving.

“Our government is taking concrete steps to address homelessness in Alberta’s rural, remote and Indigenous communities,” said the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. “Through the Reaching Home funding stream, we are investing in projects that create lasting housing solutions for everyone who calls Alberta home. This investment from our new federal government demonstrates how we can address the core issues in our province and strengthen communities and ensure that every Albertan has a safe and secure place to call home.”

The $4.8 million in funding will be distributed to communities and organizations that aim to reduce or prevent homelessness outside of the 7 major cities in Alberta. On-reserve projects are eligible. 

“While we continue to see increasing and diverse experiences of homelessness across our province, we are inspired by the resilience and innovative solutions emerging from smaller communities,” says Sydney Stenekes, RDN’s Director of Homelessness Initiatives. “We have seen firsthand the positive impact that Reaching Home funding is having in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities as they respond to homelessness. 

“We are grateful to the Federal Government’s Reaching Home program for continuing to invest in these communities as they develop local solutions. The Regional Advisory Board and the Rural Development Network remain committed to reconciliation through the Reaching Home program, and will continue to prioritize funding projects that are Indigenous-led and/or Indigenous-serving.”

Eligible communities and organizations can apply through the online application form before December 8, 2025, 1:00 PM MST. To reduce barriers for First Nation and Métis Communities and Settlements who are interested in applying for funding, the Rural Development Network has developed an alternative application process under the guidance and feedback of Indigenous partners and advisors; Indigenous communities or organizations may submit a letter of intent through the online application form in lieu of a general application. Selected applicants will then be invited to partake in an oral application process. 

For more information about the 2026-2028 Reaching Home Call for Proposal, or to apply for funding, visit the Rural Development Network’s website. 

This program is funded by the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. 

For more information, please contact:

MEDIA CONTACT : 

Sydney Stenekes
Director, Homelessness Initiatives
1-613-986-5207
programs@ruraldevelopment.ca

ABOUT THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
The Rural Development Network is a not-for-profit that facilitates, supports, and champions rural community development through collaboration, research, and service provision. RDN supports the sustainability of rural communities and works with communities to amplify the “rural voice”. RDN collaborates to identify and bring focus to rural issues, build local capacity, and find innovative, rural-based solutions to unique issues.

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA’S REACHING HOME FUNDING
Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding to urban, Indigenous, rural and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.

Reaching Home supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy, in particular, to support the most vulnerable Canadians in maintaining safe, stable and affordable housing and to reduce chronic homelessness.