Military ombudsman decries housing ‘tragedy’

Canada’s military ombudsman says Ottawa needs to urgently address a growing crisis of homelessness and housing precarity among military personnel across the country following reports of active-duty Armed Forces members living in tents in Nova Scotia.

Gregory Lick says he has heard concerns from military families and individuals about hardships they’re facing due to a lack of available and affordable housing.

“The issue is all over the place, but certainly (we’re) hearing of families not having a home, having to live with other families or having to live in recreational vehicles as a temporary means because there simply isn’t enough housing,” Lick told SaltWire in an interview.

“And we’re even hearing from some families that are simply homeless.”

During a recent visit to 14 Wing Greenwood, Lick said, he heard many stories that echo those described earlier this week at a legislative standing committee about an “epidemic” of homelessness and housing insecurity among active-duty personnel in Nova Scotia.

Representatives from the Royal Canadian Legion, the Halifax & Region Military Family Resource Centre and Halifax Regional Municipality told MLAs they’ve seen and heard from Armed Forces members living in tents, living in vehicles, couchsurfing and even entering into relationships that put them at risk of domestic violence in order to secure housing.

‘operational effectiveness issues’

Lick said he found these reports deeply troubling.

“I think it’s tragic,” Lick said.

“When I was a reservist . . . we always had pretty decent barracks and they were clean and things like that. But hearing of those living conditions now, that’s awful.”

The growing prevalence of housing vulnerability within Canada’s Armed Forces not only creates hardships for individuals and families, it also raises concern about the impact it could have on the work they do protecting Canadians from domestic and international threats, Lick warned.

Without basic needs being met, their minds will not be fully on their work, which could create “operational effectiveness issues,” he said.

That’s why more immediate attention and response from the federal government is needed, said Lick.

Reaction to the dire situation in Nova Scotia sent shock waves among many in the military community. Canada’s naval commander, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, said on social media the reports of sailors struggling with housing in Halifax are “concerning” and that his officials are “actively investigating.”

“None of our serving members should be homeless,” Topshee posted on X.

“If you know of a sailor or other CAF member who needs help, my DMs are open.”

Colin Darlington, a retired Royal Canadian Navy commander, says the situation in Nova Scotia highlights that more urgent attention to the issue is needed.

“I think it needs focus, it needs attention from the leadership, both the Forces and department,” said Darlington, who is also the vice-president of the Royal United Services Institute of Nova Scotia.

“Ultimately, it’s government’s responsibility to ensure that their military is taken care of. It has a responsibility to examine the causes, the extent of the issue, the causes for the issue and what remediation there is, if possible.”

Tony Isaacs, another retired Armed Forces member, said he was deeply angered by the reports of unhoused military and has been working with a volunteer group to locate active members and veterans who may be unhoused to try to provide support.

“I think it’s very tragic,” he said.

“I’m literally going down there right now and will say, ‘Come live in my house so you get your feet back under you. I want to give you a hand up,’ because (military members) always consider each other brothers and sisters.”

Response to inquiries

Defence Minister Bill Blair was unavailable for an interview.

A written response to detailed questions from SaltWire contained no direct mention or reaction to the concerns raised about unhoused Nova Scotia members of the Armed Forces. Instead, it contained a list of recent government investments to address increased housing costs, including a new “housing differential” monthly payment “designed to assist those who most need financial assistance to secure suitable housing,” Blair’s spokeswoman, Diana Ebadi, wrote.

She also pointed to a commitment of $55 million in the 2023 budget for residential housing for members and said the department is working with external partners to acquire additional housing.

“Minister Blair is doing everything he can to make sure every single one of our men and women in uniform have a safe place to live.”

But Lick said he does not believe Ottawa is treating the issue with enough urgency. He noted the Defence Department has been seized with addressing issues of military culture following multiple revelations in recent years of sexual misconduct.

While this work is important, Canada’s military “cannot forget about those basic needs of shelter, food and health and safety,” he said.

He is calling for a national accommodations strategy for the Armed Forces that would look for new approaches to the demand for housing on bases and the need for retrofits for existing military housing.

“No member of the military who’s protecting our security and safety, both in Canada and around the world, should ever be homeless. That shouldn’t make the newspaper, ever.”