Building Green: Discussion Panel Recap
How do affordable housing and sustainable building practices align? This was the central question at our latest discussion panel co-organized by the Alliance, Cahdco, and Ottawa Community Land Trust (OCLT).
What does the federal budget mean for housing and homelessness?
Canada’s 2024 Federal Budget: What it Means for Housing
With Ottawa’s housing landscape in turbulence, Canada’s new 2024 federal budget unveils measures to boost affordable housing nationwide. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key points and their potential impacts for Ottawa’s residents and communities.
Blog: Housing and Mental Health in Black Communities
By: Karen Umurerwa, Expert Steering Team Member
Housing and Mental Health in Black Communities
In 2012, my family made the hard decision to move from Rwanda to Canada. The transition from my homeland to Canada was the toughest process I could have gone through. Canada was a land of opportunities, but it was one that was completely foreign to us as we had no friends or family that could ease our integration.
Blog: Embracing Identity: The Bonds of the African Diaspora
By: Yetunde Amanda Ona
Embracing Identity: The Bonds of the African Diaspora
The following piece was written by Yetunde Amanda Ona who arrived in Canada 6 years ago with her young children as a refugee claimant. She navigated the homelessness system, and is now an Alliance staff member working to create a more effective and dignified housing and homelessness system. These are her reflections on identity and the African Diaspora.
Blog Spotlight: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
By: Gail Gallagher
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Dec. 6th)
On this day, we remember the innocent lives lost and of the murder of 14 young women at Polytechnique Montréal on December 6, 1989. As a result of this tragic event, December 6 was designated as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
In addition, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence begins on November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and ends on December 10 with International Human Rights Day. The 16 Days of Activism are an opportunity to come together to speak out and renew our commitment to end gender-based violence.
Deputation at Planning and Housing Committee
Budget 2024
Wednesday, Nov 29th - Planning & Housing Committee Budget
Good Morning Chair and Members of Committee,
As you know, the Alliance to End Homelessness represents over 75 agencies working in the housing and homelessness sector in Ottawa. On behalf of our members - we commend you for the biggest increase in the capital budget for affordable housing since 2014. This increase is more than just additional money, it’s a signal that this Council is prioritizing the need to tackle the housing and homelessness crisis.
We’re also encouraged by the introduction of the vacant unit tax this past year as a new source of revenue for affordable housing. This funding is vital to our ongoing efforts to provide long-term affordable housing options for people in our community, and I encourage you to ensure all of it is used for affordable, non-profit housing.
Deputation at Community Services Committee
Budget 2024
Hear our Executive Director Kaite Burkholder Harris share long-term solutions to Ottawa's housing crisis at the Community Services Committee.
Tuesday, Nov 28th - Community Services Committee - Budget 2024
Good Morning Chair and Members of the Committee,
Over the course of the past year, as the City faces the full impact of a housing crisis out of control, I want to start by pointing to actions that are working. In June, this Council approved an Integrated Transition to Housing Plan that City staff built with community partners. The result in the short term is an enhanced rent subsidy with greater flexibility, enabling people who have been stuck in homelessness to rapidly move out of the PDC’s. By allocating resources towards flexible subsidies like this, we enable people to secure stable housing.
Blog Spotlight: Veterans Homelessness on Rememberance Day
Written by: Maj (Retd) Mark MacDonald
On November 11th, this year and every year, millions of Canadians will gather to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Veterans. In Ottawa, home to one of the largest groups of veterans in the country, there will be televised services from the National War Memorial. At these events much will be made, correctly so, of those who have died in service. There exists however another population who have also freely given of themselves. These are veterans who are physically and emotionally wounded as a result of their service in the wars and peacekeeping operations of recent conflicts. These wounded warriors are often in need of extensive care and this is provided by Veterans Affairs Canada and other agencies. Other veterans, whose care needs are less or who are healthy often find themselves challenged to find housing. This can be caused by family breakdown, addictions or other factors. There is a growing number of homeless veterans in Canada. It is disturbing to consider the fact that veterans who have served Canada are now slipping into homelessness.
Deputation at the Joint Finance & Planning Committee
November 2nd, 2023 - Lansdowne 2.0 - Presented by our Executive Director Kaite Burkholder Harris:
Dear Chair and members of the Committee,
I’m speaking today on behalf of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa - an organization representing over 75 agencies in Ottawa in the housing and homelessness sector. In the past year, we’ve been encouraged by Council’s focus on affordable housing and homelessness as the key priority issue for this term of Council.
Blog Spotlight: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
By: Gail Gallagher
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day has occurred annually on September 30th for the past three years. This day honors Indigenous children who never returned home and the Survivors of residential schools, including their families and communities.
This day culminates with Orange Shirt Day, also on September 30th. The story of Phyllis Webstad is the inspiration behind "Orange Shirt Day" when her favorite orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at residential school when she was six years old.
Deputation at the Finance and Corporate Services Committee
Watch our deputation at Finance and Corporate Services Committee.
Presented by our Executive Director Kaite Burkholder Harris:
Dear Chair and members of the Committee,
I’m speaking today on behalf of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa - an organization representing over 75 agencies in Ottawa in the housing and homelessness sector.
This new opportunity for supportive housing at 1245 Kilborn Avenue is an exciting and smart investment. Local supportive housing providers report seeing over 90% success in people staying housed long-term through supportive housing. It is a key step on the road to ending homelessness.
Request for Proposals: Achieving System Level Change
The Project:
The Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, (Alliance) and the Ottawa Social Housing Network (OSHN) are looking for an experienced consultant or firm to work with us on a new project to be run under the title of “Investing in Collective Impact: Achieving System Level Change Through Collaboration”. Funding has been secured from the Ottawa Community Foundation for the development of a community perspective on the ‘ideal state’ of the pathway(s) from homelessness to housing in Ottawa. The work would include an environmental scan of good practices for coordination, use of system-wide data, as well as recommendations for change, such as roles and responsibilities of system stakeholders, flow patterns, etc. and the development of a framework for policies necessary to create this system.
The collective impact project will support the collaboration of the Alliance and OSHN to map out the ideal state of the housing and homelessness system, and the steps needed to operationalize it. It will show us how the services of our individual member organizations should evolve, and how we can collaborate across the non-profit sector to realize much-needed system-level changes.
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