Cities across the country are seeing their homeless populations shrink thanks to efforts by the federal government and its partners to provide permanent housing to those languishing on the streets, says Canada's social development minister.

Homelessness in Edmonton dropped by 20 per cent between 2008 and 2010 and about 4,000 people in Toronto have moved into permanent housing in the last eight years, Candice Bergen told the National Conference on Homelessness on Tuesday.

"These are some of the strongest results that we've ever seen in any attempt to reduce homelessness," Bergen said.