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Homelessness can be eliminated, but it will take public and political will, says former Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow.

“This is a big problem, but I think that it is a solvable problem,” Romanow said in an interview.

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Romanow has been appointed co-chair of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

The group, which is issuing a comprehensive homelessness report in the fall, lobbies all sectors to support Housing First and other proven programs across Canada.

Alliance President and CEO Tim Richter said homelessness “is the result of public policy.” Richter said he’s honoured to have Romanow lend his will powerful, experienced voice to the organization.

“It’s a quantum leap for us. He brings a lot of leadership,” Richter said.

Romanow, now a senior policy fellow at the University of Saskatchewan, said part of the solution is to recognize homelessness is linked to health care and other issues. Hospitals are only one part of ensuring a society’s health.

Providing shelter or other preventative “upstream care” will save money in the long run, he said.

Government investment in housing has dropped 46 per cent while the population has increased, Romanow said. As a result, the growing problem of homelessness now costs the Canadian economy $7 billion per year.

“It’s pretty staggering,” he said.