In August we set the ambitious goal to secure housing for 100 people over a two-month period. The good news is that our volunteers have registered almost 60 units, and have educated many more landlords on the Housing Blitz. Affordability remains the driving issue. Even with subsidies, finding an affordable home in our community is extremely difficult.
We had hoped to secure housing for 100 people by this point. Securing housing does not mean immediate move-in but that people have signed a lease and will be moving in soon. Currently, there are four households that have been housed. We wanted more people to have homes at this date, but it matters that those four people have homes. We know the impact housing has on a person’s life.
We tried. We knew we might not reach our goal, but we tried. And we can’t learn if we don’t try. In this way, we don’t consider the Blitz a failure. It would have been a failure if we never tried. Housing is a human right. Homelessness is a policy failure and a public health issue, made worse by this pandemic. Now more than ever, having a home saves lives.
The Housing Blitz has laid the groundwork for a new way of connecting people with landlords. In many ways this is a test run. We have coordinated and built significant partnerships with landlords, the City of Ottawa Housing team, and service providers with the common goal of getting people housed.
We knew this wouldn’t be instant housing and the ultimate goal is to get people connected to homes before winter sets in. We’ve been refining the process as we go, have extended the Blitz and are working on a more targeted approach for the last few weeks. The vacancy rate is set to increase in the coming months, and sub-zero temperatures are coming.
In a city as wealthy as Ottawa, no one should be without a home. Right now,150 people are sleeping outside. We know there are 2,500 more households facing eviction in the coming months due to COVID-19 related non-payment. We cannot let this happen. We must try everything we can to get people housed and keep people housed.
Quote: “The Housing Blitz highlighted systemic issues to getting an affordable home in this city. The partnerships we’ve created during the Blitz will be crucial to ending homelessness in Ottawa. We’re proud to try something new and we’re proud to have gotten people housed. We are committed to moving forward maintaining the urgency that ending homelessness requires.” - Kaite Burkholder Harris
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.
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.
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.
. 
. 
