Op-Ed: What the city of Ottawa can do to help end homelessness
Op-Ed: What the city of Ottawa can do to help end homelessness
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Last week, the City of Ottawa announced it will close the Forward Avenue
Family Shelter, effective Dec. 15. This shelter closure will affect 14
families with children, interrupting their school year and displacing these
families from their neighbourhood.
Forward Avenue, an old school repurposed as an emergency family shelter, is at
the end of its life cycle, and repairs would be costly. This is a wakeup call.
As a city, we have seen a 33-per-cent rise in family shelter use since the
adoption of the city’s 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan in 2014. In 2017,
the City placed 182 families in motels. Ottawa is facing a homelessness
crisis, fuelled by pressures on housing affordability, just for a start.
Homelessness is one of the most merciless realities anyone can experience.
Homelessness wears down your sense of self, your independence, your
motivation. When you see a family whose life circumstances have led them to a
situation where they no longer have a home, be assured this is no one’s
choice.
Homelessness is about the cost of living. It is about being unable to make
ends meet, even with one, two or three jobs. It is about truth and
reconciliation, income inequality, and the erosion of cultural inclusion and
human rights. It is about recognizing the ongoing prevalence of physical and
sexual abuse, mental health, addictions, illness and trauma.
Homelessness results from the choices of our governments and policies. It is
the result of the erosion of our social services. Every neighbourhood in this
city is affected. Ottawa’s rental housing vacancy rate sits at a low 1.7 per
cent. The affordable monthly housing cost for those on old age security,
full-time minimum wage, and Ontario’s social assistance programs all fall well
below the average market rent for a bachelor apartment in Ottawa.
A staggering 42 per cent of Ottawa households spend more than 30 per cent of
household income on rent. Thirteen per cent of Ottawa residents live on low
income. That’s more than 55,000 households with insufficient income to meet
their basic needs, such as housing, food, child and health care.
For Ottawa to see a significant and lasting reduction to the rising number of
families, women, men, youth and Indigenous peoples accessing our shelters –
which reached an all-time high of 7,530 in 2017 – strong municipal leadership
is needed.
Why should Ottawa provide political and financial support to make this happen?
Homelessness could happen to anyone. No one is exempt. We also know it is less
expensive to keep someone housed then to re-house that person or family.
Here are six things city council can do right now to effect change:
• Create an annual capital investment envelope earmarked for new affordable
housing over and above provincial and federal grants;
• Commit to setting a yearly target for the amount of affordable housing
developed across a range of income thresholds and a mix of household types;
• Support a strong citywide inclusionary zoning bylaw that ensures a special
emphasis on deeply affordable housing close to LRT and rapid transit stations;
• Provide city-owned land close to LRT stations for affordable and supportive
housing development;
• Invest in homelessness prevention and long-term housing stability by
connecting people to the resources and services they need to stay housed in
their own neighbourhoods;
• Advocate for provincial and federal government funds to alleviate housing
affordability needs.
The City of Ottawa will review its Housing and Homelessness Plan in 2019.
This is an important chance to set realistic goals and dedicate the resources
necessary to achieve them.
The closure of Forward Avenue Family Shelter is a reminder that local
leadership is essential to making meaningful change to homelessness outcomes
in Ottawa.
On April 22, 2025, Kaite Burkholder Harris spoke at the City of Ottawa's Community Services Committee on behalf of the Alliance to End Homelessness, to support the need for continued and increased funding for rent allowances to close the gap between current demand and the approved budget.
We urge you to vote if you are eligible, to encourage everyone in your life to vote, and to keep Ontario's housing crisis in mind when you cast your vote.
Unhoused Ontarians have the same right to vote as those who are housed. Learn how shelters, drop-ins, food banks, and community health centres can help unhoused Ontarians vote if they don't have ID, using this printable resource from Diana Chan McNally.
The Alliance has prepared some social media graphics you can use to show your support for making sure housing is part of the conversation.