Everyone Together –

Ottawa, A Caring and

Compassionate City
A report from the Special Liaison
for Affordable Housing & Homelessness
in Ottawa

Deputy Mayor Mark Taylor, Special Liaison for Housing & Homelessness
Dylan Stephenson, Lead for Research, Office of Mark Taylor
March 2018
ii
Table of Contents
Dedication....................................................................................................................................... 2

Key Stakeholders Consulted......................................................................................................... 2

The Reality...................................................................................................................................... 3

Background.................................................................................................................................... 3

The Shortlist - Three Priority Investment Areas......................................................................... 4

The City of Ottawa’s 10 Year Plan................................................................................................ 7

Compassionate Communities, Prevention, and Intervention................................................ 10

Social, Supportive, and Affordable Housing............................................................................. 22

Next Steps..................................................................................................................................... 38

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................... 38

------

Appendices................................................................................................................................... 39

Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa 1

Dedication
This report is dedicated to all of the people in the Ottawa Community who are
living in poverty or homelessness. I would like to thank all of the partners who
collaborated with me on this report. Most importantly, I would like to thank
individuals who shared their lived experiences of homelessness with me.

Key Stakeholders Consulted

I would like to offer a special thank you to • Shepherds of Good Hope
all of the organizations and individuals • Youth Services Bureau
who have provided advice, suggestions for • The Ottawa Mission
improvement, and general help along the • Canadian Mental Health Association
way. I cannot state enough how hard the • Daybreak Housing
housing sector in Ottawa is working to • Ottawa Salus
meet the needs of some of our most • Eastern Ontario Landlord Organization
vulnerable residents. (Please note this is • Tewegan Housing for Aboriginal Youth
not an exhaustive list of all stakeholders • Somerset West Community
consulted with.) Health Centre
• Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
• Ottawa’s Aboriginal Community
• Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation
Advisory Board
• Catholic Centre for Immigrants
• CAHDCO
• Salvation Army - Booth Centre
• YMCA-YMCA
• Cornerstone Housing for Women
• St. Mary’s Home
• Pinecrest-Queensway Community
• Social Housing Registry
Health Centre
• Harmony House
• Operation Come Home
• Options Bytown
• The Oaks
• Ottawa Community Housing
• Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health
• Minwaashin Lodge
• Tungasuvvingat Inuit Centre
• Unitarian House of Ottawa
• United Way Ottawa
• Centre for Research on Educational
• City of Ottawa staff: Community,
and Community Services
Social Services and Housing, Planning,
• Eastern Ontario Landlord
Infrastructure and Economic
Organization (EOLO)
Development, Ottawa Public Health
• Alliance to End Homelessness

2 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City

The Reality
235,000 Canadians will experience
homelessness this year1
26,210 Ottawa children live in poverty2
10,000+ households are on the city’s
affordable housing waitlist
7,530 individuals stayed in an
emergency shelter in Ottawa in 2017
Without question, there is a greater
need for housing across the spectrum of
affordability in Ottawa than the current
supply provides.
As a city and as a community more needs
to be done to make Ottawa a better place
to live for all residents. Shoring up our
housing stock and providing supports to
individuals in need should not be seen
as a handout, but as an investment with
an incredible return, both for individual
people’s lives and the health and economy
of the city.
Ottawa has had significant successes in
our work to address affordable housing
and it would be shortsighted not to point
out some milestones at the outset of this
report. Recently the City of Ottawa has:
1 Stephen Gaetz, Tanya Gulliver, & Tim Richter,
The State of Homelessness in Canada
(Toronto: The Homeless Hub Press, 2014).
2 United Way Ottawa, UWCO.ca/kids (2017).
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
• Since 2014 – approved 291 supportive
housing units, 124 complete
• Since April 2015 – transitioned 519 long
stay shelter clients with high/moderate
needs to housing
• Since 2011 – built 869 new affordable
housing units across the city
• Since 2011 – created 1090 new portable
housing subsidies
Responses from the Housing Sector have
also identified that the City is on the right
path and having important and much-
needed discussions. There is always room
for improvement, but the collaborative
efforts of the City and community agencies
are yielding progress.
The City of Ottawa has a 10 year plan to
address housing and homelessness and
has made strides - but we can do more.
Through continued work with key stake-
holders in the housing sector and this
report we can bridge gaps, amplify our
collective work and improve the situation
in our city. Together we will end chronic
homelessness and create more affordable
housing options for those in need.
Background
Over the past year I have met,
collaborated with, and interviewed key
stakeholders in the affordable housing and
homelessness sector to find ways to accel-
erate the City of Ottawa’s progress on its
10-year housing and homelessness efforts.
3
This report and its recommendations
are the culmination of many formal
and informal conversations, research,
feedback from the housing sector,
and leading practices from other cities.
The City’s own plan was reviewed and
meetings with City staff from a variety
of departments were also held.
Mayor Watson created the position
of Special Liaison on Housing and
Homelessness with a mandate to work
with key stakeholders, community
agencies and funding partners with a
focus on breaking down silos and acceler-
ating the City’s progress on affordable
housing and homelessness issues. This
report represents a review of the City’s
Housing approach with an eye to making
it work better for the people it serves.
Affordable housing, housing affordability,
homelessness, physical and mental health
and poverty are all intertwined. It is impos-
sible to properly consider one without the
others. Early on it became apparent that
working to accelerate our progress on
addressing homelessness would require
a broader view than just housing related
issues. It is insufficient and will be ineffec-
tive addressing housing in isolation
without taking steps to help individuals
avoid homelessness and equitably prosper
in our city.
In deploying the following recommenda-
tions, I encourage respondents employ a
multitude of community lenses including
First Nations, Inuit, and Metis (FNIM),
4 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
Youth, LGBTQ2S+, Older Adult, gender,
and disability/exceptionality. The recom-
mendations of the report are focused on
addressing Ottawa’s population as a
whole, but there are unique lenses that
should be applied depending on any one
individual in need.
The absence of a mention of one
community subset within a recommenda-
tion does not imply that they were not
included. In fact, moving forward social
inclusion across the diaspora should guide
the work of implementing these or any
other subsequent recommendations or
tools. Finally, for additional context many
other reports and publications were
consulted in this work. Where specific
reference is made, or unique research
value was determined to have been
found they have been included in the
appendices. Please note, this is not an
exhaustive list of all publications and
materials consulted.
The Shortlist -
Three Priority
Investment Areas
A challenge in the work of affordable
housing and homelessness is that the
problems confronting our community
span a continuum and people in many
stages of a journey. Starting from a high
level it is recommended that three priority
investment areas target unique spaces
where significant resources (new and/or
re-positioned) could have an amplified
outcome easing the pressure on the
broader spectrum. Throughout this report
and the recommendations efforts should
focus on prioritizing investments that
address these three priority investment
areas. By focusing our efforts on Youth,
Indigenous Peoples, and People
requiring Supportive Housing / Housing
wraparound supports the City has a
significant opportunity to improve the lives
of key groups while alleviating system
pressure and inoculating against further
human impacts. As the report recommen-
dations are being considered emphasis
should be given to these three priority
investment areas.
Youth
The City’s youth experiencing homeless-
ness or crisis leading to homelessness are
a real and present opportunity with early
and certain interventions to turn lives
around, prevent suffering and tragedy and
in some cases break cycles of generational
crisis and poverty. Operation Come Home,
an organization working with street-in-
volved youth describes the cycle in the
following terms:
“Often the systems for youth mimic the
adult’s systems, which can permeate
into the philosophy that young people
need permanent, on-going, long-term
supports and this is often not the case.
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
Providing resources and tools to youth
that are motivated to break the cycle
of poverty and move on with their life
goals is a best practice methodology for
at-risk and homeless youth. Often adult
services overtake youth services and
youth are categorized as clients that will
require services forever and this is not a
productive or cost-effective method of
working with young people.” 3
Indigenous Peoples
In the preparation of this report collabora-
tion meetings were held with Ottawa’s
Aboriginal Community Advisory Board
(ACAB). The goal was to learn and to
continue the discussion on what more can
be done to address Indigenous homeless-
ness. Listed below is the opening from
“A Position Paper on the Implementation of
Housing First Among Agencies of Ottawa’s
Aboriginal Community Advisory Board.”
Indigenous individuals are overrepre-
sented within the homeless population
in Canada… Due to the legacy of coloni-
zation, Indigenous individuals encounter
systemic and ingrained racism and
discrimination that impacts their ability
to attain housing, employment, and
sufficient incomes… A culturally-in-
formed response to Indigenous
homelessness is required.
3 Operation Come Home. Response to
Ottawa’s Special Liaison on Housing and
Homelessness’ Questionnaire. (2017).
5
This report draws from the recommenda-
tions contained within ACAB’s Position
Paper and the formal report is included in
its entirety in Appendix I. Recommendations
for Indigenous peoples, similar to all
recommendations in the report, should
not be considered perfect solutions that
address all shortcomings. This is a contin-
uation of a conversation that has been
and should remain ongoing. The goal is
to achieve progress on existing strategies
and push for innovation to address the
housing difficulties residents in Ottawa
are currently experiencing.
Importantly the Canadian Observatory
on Homelessness recently released
Jesse Thistle’s definition of Indigenous
Homelessness. The full report can be
found in Appendix II. Insight from across
the sector should continue to inform how
the city approaches housing challenges.
Supportive Housing
Through supportive housing options
significant pressures can be taken off
of community services in Ottawa. This
includes but is not limited to reducing
pressures on health care services, police,
and social services. Individuals who
require supportive housing, and who are
not receiving it consume more community
services and put a disproportionate
pressure on the community service sector
that could be alleviated by appropriately
housing the individuals. This was validated
repeatedly by housing partners.

The number of reported unique Aboriginal

individuals who used an emergency
homeless shelter in the 12-month period
between January 1, 2016, and December
31, 2016, represents 16% of all single
clients in Emergency Shelters. 4 In discus-
sions with the ACAB, they identified that
many Indigenous shelter users do not feel
comfortable self-identifying as Indigenous
during the intake process. There is a fear
that they will be treated poorly and not
receive the same quality of care. In light of
this, it is likely an even higher percentage
of shelter clients are Indigenous.
Options Bytown, a supportive housing provider
holds their 2017 AGM
4 Shelley VanBuskirk, Housing Services,
(November 3, 2017).

6 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City

One-tenth of the individuals on the
existing affordable housing list are
waiting on supportive housing units.
Several providers have indicated that they
could immediately service these clients
if they could physically house them.
Providing housing for this clientele would
help free up resources across the
community.  
The City of Ottawa’s
10 Year Plan
The City of Ottawa put a great deal of
effort, research, and consultation into the
10-year plan on Housing and Homelessness.
It officially commenced on January 1, 2014.
The plan consists of three key priorities:
• Everyone has a home;
• People get the supports they need; and
• Working together
These priorities remain valid today, and by
building upon and augmenting the tools,
tactics and approaches we take we can
enhance our progress. The 10 year plan
had specific targets over the first several
years but is a more high-level aspirational
guide thereafter. The plan is due for a
mid-point review that will take place over
2018-2019. The full plan is included in
Appendix III.
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
Within this report, the focus is adding to
some of the targets and broader goals of
the plan some new action items. Our city
needs to keep striving to meet the growing
needs of the residents requiring housing
and crisis support.
Housing First and
Emergency Shelters…
They aren’t
contradictory
This report supports the Housing First
Model put forward by the City of Ottawa in
its 10 year plan. The Housing First
approach is defined as being a model that:
“prioritizes people experiencing home-
lessness for housing and supports based
on how deep their needs are for support
services and the length of time they
have been homeless. Housing First uses
a common assessment tool amongst
referring agencies. People with the
highest needs are able to access housing
and supports more quickly.”
As the Federal government has recently
articulated, housing is a right in Canada.
Everyone deserves a safe home where
they can grow and prosper. Housing
should not be held out of reach until
individuals are deemed ‘ready’ to have a
home. The principle that everyone is
‘ready’ for housing is fundamental to
accepting a housing first approach.
Housing however, in the forms in which
the community and the marketplace can
7
provide it is a choice that individuals
must make and accept personally.
In order for this to happen across the
housing continuum there are a number of
supports that need to be employed within
the broader context of the housing first
philosophy and strategies.
One factor that is sometimes neglected
from discussion on Housing First
approaches is that as a city, we do not
have the option to select only those who
fit a certain model best, the City of Ottawa
has a duty to all its residents.
street with nowhere else to turn. This
report continues to support eliminating
chronic homelessness (which is defined as
180 days in a shelter in a given year with
stays less than 30 days), and advocate we
collectively act to accelerate this trend
downward. The classic ‘3 hots and a cot’ -
provision of meals and overnight sleeping
space to clients, is just a small portion of
the total services these hubs provide to
people who show up on their doorsteps.
For example most of Ottawa’s emergency
shelters offer some combination of the
following additional services:

• addiction treatment programs,

• medical and dental care,
• education support,
• job training,
• hospice care,
• financial literacy training, and;
• a variety of programs linked to finding
and sustaining more permanent housing

Addiction support services at the Ottawa Mission

Emergency shelters as we currently refer

to them are part of the continuum and a
part of some peoples’ journey, especially
high acuity individuals. Far beyond their
historic origins as overnight shelters these
organizations and the new services they
provide have evolved into modern service
delivery hubs and are an important step
for people who find themselves on the
Medical services delivered at the Ottawa Mission

8 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City


Housing support services at the Ottawa Mission
In the course of researching this report,
four current residents of the Oaks were
interviewed. Each of them started in the
emergency shelter system and explained
that if they were given keys to a home
upon arrival at the shelter they would not
have taken them. Although each of their
stories were quite different they shared
the same key link - that a sense of
community was essential for them in
finding success.
helped these residents move to a place
where they are now having that success.
Without the Shepherds of Good Hope
playing a key transitionary role, they might
not have found the successful situation
they are in today. What is key to note is
that in this example this was not a passive
handoff from an emergency shelter to
another agency, this was a collaborative,
co-funded, proactive approach where an
emergency homeless shelter saw a need,
created an arm’s length site, established a
model based on partnerships and ‘created’
the next step for these residents. This
is just a small example, but there are
many more throughout the sector, the
Ottawa Mission’s ‘Lifehouse’ is another
similar creation.

The capital of $6M for the Oaks was

provided to Shepherds of Good Hope
by the City of Ottawa, with funding from
all three levels of government and the
operating was secured by Housing
Services re-aligning its provincial residen-
tial services funding of $440K to ensure
Meeting the onsite volunteer barber at the Oaks
24hr supports. Shepherds of Good Hope
during a tour

Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa 9

As the Alliance to End Homelessness
stated in their 2016 report, “A shelter is
not a permanent home.” 5 The research
for this report seconds that observation,
but emergency shelters and the much-
expanded services they offer are an
important part of the journey for some
of our most vulnerable residents in
moving through homelessness.
Compassionate
Communities,
Prevention, and
Intervention
“Longer term prevention strategies are
essential.” Lisa Ker, ED, Ottawa Salus
To the extent possible, we need to
strengthen the economic opportunities of
individuals and enrich neighbourhood
conditions to prevent crisis, income and
housing insecurity in resident’s lives.
“Homelessness occurs where tenancies
are unsuccessful due to a number of
factors. Eviction for rental arrears does
occur. Prevention methods include
examining factors which cause rental
arrears and potentially homelessness…
High needs buildings draw heavily
on police, fire, and hospital services.
Ultimately a high cost to government
and society. As such, investment in
5 Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa,
2016 Progress Report, p. 10 (2017).
10 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
appropriate and needed supports to
such tenants in housing can reduce the
overall cost and lead to more successful
tenancies and lives of tenants and
residents of Ottawa.” 6 Stephane Giguere,
ED, Ottawa Community Housing
For an increasing number of people -
simple economic necessity is driving the
need for more affordable housing.
Although Ottawa is a relatively wealthy
city, large segments of the population live
on a low income. 2016 Census data identi-
fies that approximately 13% of Ottawa’s
population live on low incomes, repre-
senting roughly 118,870 residents or over
48,360 households. Put into geographic
context that represents more households
than the entirety of Kanata and Stittsville
combined. The 2016 Census also indicated
that the prevalence and incidence of core
housing need in Ottawa were estimated to
be 47,145 households. The vast majority of
these households are renters. 7
In the Alliance to End Homelessness’ “2016
Progress Report on Ending Homelessness
in Ottawa”, they concluded that there were
three key messages for the City of Ottawa
in addressing housing issues. The first was
“We need a Strong Focus on Prevention.” 8
The Alliance describes how “reducing the
risk of needing emergency shelter needs
to be a key principle guiding a strong
6 Ottawa Community Housing. Response to
Ottawa’s Special Liaison on Housing and
Homelessness’ Questionnaire. (2017).
7 City of Ottawa, Inclusionary Zoning Memo
to Council (January 22, 2018).
8 Alliance to End Homelessness 2016
Progress Report. (2017).
robust strategy to reduce shelter depen-
dency. Implementing several initiatives
intended to support housing affordability
and to prevent housing loss could make
the difference.” 9 The recommendations
below start to explore a few opportunities
and initiatives the City and other levels of
government can consider implementing:
Recommendations:
1. Expand and Refocus
Housing Loss Prevention
Housing Loss Prevention (HLP) is a key
piece of the Housing continuum and the
City of Ottawa along with other levels of
government need to further embrace
HLP as an opportunity. The City of Ottawa
along with other levels of government
should work toward ensuring that HLP, as
an important component of any effective
affordable housing and homelessness
service system is well resourced and
adequately funded.
If HLP is working the way it should, it is
relatively inconspicuous. This is positive,
but also means it is one of the services the
sector provides that is least visible. When
emergency shelters provide food and
accommodations to people who would
otherwise be on the street it is very visible.
When an HLP worker connects with a
landlord to work through issues so a
tenant is not evicted from their home it
is less visible.
9 Alliance to End Homelessness 2016 Progress
Report. P. 9. (2017).
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
The insight provided by the sector,
residents with lived experience of home-
lessness, and leading practices identify
that HLP is a key housing tool and the
City of Ottawa needs to stay fully
committed to it. The directions below
are just a few examples of how the city
can maintain its commitment to HLP.
Directions to Consider
Reinvest HLP money that was
removed in 2015
When the Housing First model was
implemented in 2015, the Housing Loss
Prevention (HLP) model was changed
resulting in a net loss of $300,000 from the
HLP budget. Feedback from the housing
sector and interviews with affected
individuals have illustrated that this is
an incredibly important need that will
help people find, and stay in, their best
housing options.
The City has taken some positive steps to
address some of the shortcomings with
HLP by increasing staff with different
cultural backgrounds. For example,
HLP funding has been added to
Tungasuvvingat Inuit and Wabano since
2015. The City has also hired two Arabic/
Somali speaking HLP workers. Increasing
investments moving forward to support
a coordinated, responsive HLP service
delivery model will further help with new
positive steps.
11
The estimated cost of this investment is
$300k and an appropriate tracking metric
would be to examine the outcome trends
of program to people interventions to
ensure interventions were leading to
increased housing retention.
Focus HLP delivery on providing
services to where people are
Housing support providers have responded
that the current HLP model is not as
effective as it could be.
The City needs to create a proactive
outreach program to help prevent home-
lessness among (majorly) renters facing
housing related problems. New York City
has had some success with their Tenant
Support Unit, which in 18 months has
been able to reach almost 200,000 New
Yorkers through its proactive approach.
New York conducts proactive outreach on
critical services to prevent homelessness
among renters facing housing-related
problems. 10
The City of Ottawa has a similar program,
the Supports to Social Housing (SSH) which
began in 2008 with a $1M investment
provided to six community agencies that
assist 100 precariously housed individuals.
There is an opportunity to further expand
the City of Ottawa’s SSH/HLP programs to
respond to demand.
10 New York City, Turning the Tide on
Homelessness. (2017).
12 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
Representatives at a May 18th, 2017
emergency shelter meeting noted that the
HLP environment has gotten worse and
that there is a desire amongst the sector
to go back to some of the tenets of the old
system. Prior to changes in 2015, residents
had access to HLP services from represen-
tatives who could directly and immediately
engage with them at a wide variety of
CHRC’s and other agencies. Changes were
made in 2015 to funnel these requests for
service presented at these contact points
to two agencies. While in theory the idea
of having two providers may be better
streamlined to benefit the system – the
reality is that returning to many points of
contacts across many doors works better
for people.
The City of Ottawa should convene a
focused working group of housing sector
providers with city staff to focus on deliv-
ering HLP services to people in need,
where they are.
The estimated cost of this investment
in figures provided by City of Ottawa
Community & Social Services Housing
Branch is $10k per client and $65k per
each HLP worker added. An appropriate
tracking metric would be to see a greater
number of residents connecting with
HLP supports.
2. Basic Income and Building
Neighbourhoods
Many residents interviewed for this report
told similar stories of not being able to
achieve livable wages in their employment.
This was true of individuals as well as of
households where multiple residents each
had multiple jobs. Despite youth often
working (and balancing education commit-
ments) the household did not achieve
financial sustainability. In addition to the
economics, the context of living in commu-
nities challenged with an environment that
was not conducive to positive associations
(especially true for youth) compounded
the family pressures. Linkages to negative
justice, health and other concerns
surrounded families under internal
pressure with more external pressure.
Strengthening individuals, families and
neighbourhoods together will lead to
better outcomes for all and less stress
on reactive services.
Directions to Consider
The Mayor formally request
that the Province initiate a
Basic Income pilot in Ottawa
A number of communities across Canada
have embraced a living wage program.
A living Wage sets a higher test than the
minimum wage and reflects what earners
in a family need to bring home based on
the actual costs of living in a specific
community. Program cities include
Hamilton, London, Kingston, Toronto,
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
and Waterloo. The Government of Ontario
in response to calls and data showing the
benefit to low income earners of increased
wages has now taken steps to raise the
minimum wage.
Beyond the concept of minimum or
living wages however is the concept of
the basic income.
We have suggested to the Province
through feedback to the Ministry of
Community and Social Services during its
roundtable sessions that Ottawa has all
of the features they are considering in
piloting a basic income trial. One of the
best ways to address homelessness is to
prevent homelessness. While the first
three pilot regions have already been
selected the desire is to have a pilot
expanded to Ottawa. The sector, City staff,
and others have all advocated for Ottawa
to be chosen as a pilot site. The concept
of the Basic Income Guarantee has been
proven in other jurisdictions and has
significant potential for our city. The initial
Basic Income pilot in Canada labelled
“Mincome”, was launched in Dauphin,
Manitoba in 1974 and was considered a
success. Recent media articles on early
results from the current pilots from Fast
Company (https://www.fastcompany.
com/40532513/inside-ontari-
os-big-bold-basic-income-experiment) and
The Star (https://www.thestar.com/news/
gta/2018/02/24/from-barely-surviv-
ing-to-thriving-ontario-basic-income-recipi-
ents-report-less-stress-better-health.html)
are promising.
13
There would be little to no City investment
in this effort and proposed tracking would
be done within the framework of the
existing Provincial pilot.
Use the Building Better Revitalized
Neighbourhoods (BBRN) framework
and tools to strengthen at-risk
communities and neighbourhoods
throughout Ottawa
Within the Building Better Revitalized
Neighbourhoods (BBRN) project two pilot
areas in Heatherington and Vanier South-
Overbrook communities are underway
with early signs of success based on
community engagement. We have an
opportunity to apply successful outcomes
from these pilots to neighbourhoods
beyond the BBRN scope.
One leading practice that has emerged
from BBRN and will have scalable
application throughout Ottawa relates
to community planning. Reviews in
Heatherington and Vanier South-
Overbrook communities have started with
a focus on engaging community members,
service providers, residents, landowners
and business leaders to discover what is
already working in each of the neighbour-
hoods in order to identify the priorities for
revitalization. 11 The key element is that
solutions to neighbourhood issues should
stem from the individuals living in those
same neighbourhoods. Trust and
11 City of Ottawa, Building Better Revitalized
Neighbourhoods, Report to Council
(November 2017).
14 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
opportunity to build and rebuild resident’s
own communities and neighbourhoods
should be granted to those residents.
The pilot BBRN project will serve as
a model for future Neighbourhood
Revitalization Strategies for inclusion in
the City’s Official Plan as a new tool to
address the needs of communities. 12 The
benefit of the BBRN project is not its quick
wins, but the scalable framework that is
being built. Cooperation was key as the
report identifies - “The work undertaken
for both neighbourhoods was through a
cross-departmental team led by the Long-
Range Planning branch in partnership with
the Partner and Stakeholder Initiatives
and the Housing Service Branches of the
Community and Social Services depart-
ment with cooperation and input from
a number of different branches across
the City.” 13
“No community is the same and no neigh-
bourhood functions in isolation of the City.
Future BBRN initiatives should continue to
target other priority neighbourhoods, each
with an individualized approach that is
unique to that community with clear goals
and objectives.” 14
Currently a one-time investment of $250K
has initiated this project. Locating ongoing
funding within the city budget would be
required to establish program
sustainability.
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid., 3.
14 Ibid., 7.
3. Provide adequate
emergency and transition
services to people in need
To complete this report a series of focus
group discussions with the key emergency
shelter providers in Ottawa were held.
Building on the discussions in the first and
second meetings it was agreed that the
City continue to host/convene these
meetings on a quarterly schedule.
A shelter room at the Ottawa Misison
The focus group discussions were just part
of the research - there was also a formal
request from the sector on suggestions for
improvement, lots of informal conversa-
tions, and research on best practices.
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
A lunch client at the Ottawa Mission
Shelters were initially providers of ‘3 hots
and a cot’. They have now grown to offer
expanded services to meet the complex
needs of their clients. The three large
downtown shelters which serve single
adults (The Ottawa Mission, Salvation
Army and Shepherds of Good Hope)
describe it in the following context -
“Shelters no longer serve strictly as places
to obtain a meal, a shower and a bed.
We employ highly skilled and educated
individuals to assist many of the most
complex [in need] people in the city; those
who require intensive supports to survive
and thrive.” 15 Emergency shelters for
15 The Ottawa Mission, Salvation Army, and the
Shepherds of Good Hope “Joint Response to
Mark Taylor.” Response to Ottawa’s Special
Liaison on Housing and Homelessness’
Questionnaire. (2017).
15
youth and families are experiencing
similar transformations “where the addi-
tional complexities of developmental age
and inter-generational needs push service
providers beyond a simplistic idea of an
overnight temporary space.”16
Meal preperations at the Ottawa Mission
The classic interpretation of shelters is no
longer relevant and looking at them only
in this light is a gross oversimplification.
This becomes particularly problematic
when attempting to broaden the public
dialogue around the many programs and
services shelter providers offer.
For a number of reasons, some shelter
users are either not willing or unable in
the condition in which they present to
access shelter alternatives. Individuals
cannot be forced into something they do
not feel ready for or are in a position to
sustain. While this might seem contrary
16 Larissa Silver, Youth Services Bureau,
(November 15, 2017).
16 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
to the Housing First approach the city has
adopted and sector has largely endorsed,
the only way to further transition is much
more investment in wrap around
supports. It is likely that some of these
supports would at least initially emanate
from a shelter location. Feedback provided
by residents who are now living in
supportive and other housing after
moving on from shelters were explicit on
this point. Individuals must ‘feel ready’ to
be in a housing arrangement was the
feedback. This is different than a systemic
judgment of readiness upon an individual,
this is an internal self-assessment from
individuals which cannot be discounted.
In the focus group meetings with the
shelters, and then throughout experiences
with individuals with lived experience with
homelessness - the idea of community
kept appearing. Key connections with a
community were deemed as essential for
people to find their own level of success. It
was repeated many times by clients of
different shelter and supportive housing
providers - that without the communities
they were part of they would not be in a
successful situation.
Unfortunately, it is not as easy as simply
putting people in a house - but the
housing sector has long known this.
Placing a person into a home without
appropriate supports can be tantamount
to setting them up for failure. Facilitating
and connecting them to healthy, positive
community is another critical harbinger
of success.
Emergency Shelter providers do important
work, and while the long-term strategy is
to reduce chronic homelessness and
shelter use for the standard overnight
emergency stay client, shelters will
continue to be an important step on the
continuum journey for many towards
finding and keeping stable housing.
Shelters are attempting to step up to the
challenge of ending chronic homelessness
and our city needs to continue to support
them in our challenge.
Meeting with Senior leaders at the Shepherds
of Good Hope
Directions to Consider
Add flexibility and funding to the
emergency shelter sector but properly
realign it to reflect the scope of work
shelters do
Block, per diem, and hybrid funding
approaches can be used depending on
services and clientele. The City of Ottawa’s
current per diem amount is an almost
arbitrary number. It does not recognize
the modern reality of the breadth and
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
depth of what shelters do. The current
rate is built on an old Provincial funding
formula that was tied to the expected cost
of providing three basic daily meals and
overnight accommodations. It has not kept
pace with escalating real world costs for
these services nor was it designed to be
slivered to help fund the other services
and programming that providers now
correctly offer. Emergency shelter per
diems have been frozen at $44.00 for
approximately five years after having only
risen slightly in prior years. Shelter’s costs
are rising and they are trying to do more
to break the cycle of homelessness by
operating a range of programs and
services, but often getting little or no
public funding to do so.
To reduce the community impact of
people on their surrounding communities,
more funding, and different funding than
the classic daily per diem is required.
Shelters interviewed for this report under-
stand the need to receive different but
equitable funding. All shelters do not have
to be funded in an identical way, and they
are open to being funded differently.
Equity is more important than equality.
There exist difficulties noted by the
emergency shelters in securing funding,
flexibility with funding, and the amounts.
It is difficult to make the economies of
scale work when you are a small shelter
provider (for example, Cornerstone or
St. Mary’s). This also makes it challenging
to achieve the basic city standards.
For example, having two staff support on
17
site at all times for smaller provider sites
can stretch resources incredibly thin.
We heard from our three large downtown
shelters on their proposal to “consider
increasing block funding as an option for
specific programs” 17
The community has to stop thinking about
the emergency shelters as solely shelters.
Each have a number of innovative
programs that are helping people find
success. Whether it is addiction treatment
programs or job training, access to
education or family reconnection for
youth, shelters are offering Ottawa
residents options to move on.
The emergency shelters are fundraising in
the private donor market to make up the
difference between what the City’s per
diems provide and the number of services
they administer. We need to help bridge
this gap if we want to continue to see
them branch out beyond the classic
emergency shelter. Funding and scaling
projects such as the internationally
acclaimed Oaks Managed Alcohol Program
hold significant potential to address
homelessness by addressing some of the
concurrent causes and life challenges that
go along with homelessness. As such, the
Oaks is one of nine City led supportive
housing projects, developed with funding
from all levels of government, with
ongoing operating primarily from the City
and in negotiated partnerships with the
LHIN for health services where possible.
The reality is that the largest share of
consistent funding to shelters (the per
diems) finance daily stays (albeit not
adequately). Instead, we should consider
appropriately increased per diems as the
entry level funding and ensure the bulk of
funding beyond that is financing the tran-
sition of clients to the next step on the
housing journey – including into housing.
The Ottawa Mission recently invested in
and opened their Lifehouse program.
Lifehouse is a unique, intensive, five-
month addiction treatment program.
In this program, 11 men live in a small
building separate from the main shelter
that offers a safe and secure environment
to address issues such as trauma and
abuse histories, mental health issues, and
anger, and work to overcome addictions.
By helping these individuals address their
addictions and related issues, the Mission
helps them restore their confidence and
move towards a self-sufficient life. In order
to invest in this initiative, the Mission went
into deficit.
Other emergency shelters have similar
stories about attempting to expand
services beyond the ‘3 hots and a cot’ but
are feeling confined by per diem amounts
which must be cannibalized to help fund
innovative programming.

17 The Ottawa Mission, Salvation Army, and the

Shepherds of Good Hope “Joint Response
to Mark Taylor’s H&H ask.” Response to
Ottawa’s Special Liaison on Housing and
Homelessness’ Questionnaire. (2017).

18 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City

Emergency shelters are attempting to
provide more services and expand beyond
their classic form of operations. Raising
the per diem rate can help assist the
provision of these extended services by
officially recognizing the daily requirement
funding must extend beyond meals and
lodging to supports that break cycles.
We do not want to keep funding perpetual
or chronic homelessness. Shelters offer an
opportunity to bridge people into appro-
priate housing and require increased
funding to improve these services using
a variety of funding methodologies.
The estimated cost of this investment
would need to be determined in consulta-
tion with the shelter community. At
current client volume levels an increase
of each additional $1 to the per diem
represents $650K. An appropriate tracking
metric would be to examine the outcome
of both increasing shelter per diems and
expand/increase the use of other funding
styles (block, program etc.) shifting the
financial and operational sustainability
model to align with better client outcomes.
Pursue appropriate funding
commitments for community and
healthcare services that are delivered
to emergency shelter clients
Shelters are not getting the full financing
they deserve from the Provincial health-
care system for the services they provide.
One compelling example of this sees
Ottawa Inner City Health (OICH) providing
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
support to several of the shelters, but
facilities and supplies to facilitate this were
largely built by shelters with their own
privately donated dollars. In addition,
when OICH is not providing support, the
shelters pay for additional support with
their own privately donated dollars.
This is an example of health care services,
a completely provincial responsibility,
having been largely organically
absorbed by shelters. Shelters should
be encouraged to do this work but with
appropriately sourced funding. This report
appeals to the Province to review and
address these discrepancies between
Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)
funding and support provided to the
shelters in Ottawa. For rising to the need
- organizations should be assisted not
financially disadvantaged.
An appropriate next step would be for the
City of Ottawa and shelter community in
collaboration with the LHIN and Ministry
of Ontario Health and Long-Term Care
(MOHLTC) should review existing health
care provision offered by shelters with
a view to providing proper provincial
funding to these programs.
Change Social Assistance Program
delivery to incentivize people moving
out of shelters
Clients receiving Ontario Works and
Ontario Disability Support Program and
who are homeless (in shelters) continue to
19
receive benefits for food (basic allowance
portion) but not for housing (the housing
allowance portion). In some cases, moving
on to housing means less monthly dispos-
able money in hand. Social assistance
funds need to be aligned so that if a
person living in a shelter is given the
option of housing there should be no
continuing economic incentive to not
move forward with housing. A number of
individuals stay in shelters for longer than
is necessary, because they are financially
better off for doing so.
While in a shelter, social assistance
clients receive:
• $337 per month as a basic allowance
on Ontario Works (OW)
or
• $662 per month as a basic allowance on
the Ontario Disability Support Program
(ODSP)
Clients at a shelter do not receive the
‘housing’ portion of either OW or ODSP
during their stay as they are not paying rent.
Housing Locator staff at the shelter can, at
times, have difficulty incentivizing clients
to accept a move into rental housing as
the client understands that while they
would then receive the housing portion of
their OW or ODSP ($384 or $489 respec-
tively) they would have to dip into their
basic allowance portion in order to accom-
modate monthly rental costs. In other
words, clients who continue to live in a
shelter end the month with a place to stay,
meals provided and more spending
money than those who choose to accept
the move into housing.
20 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
Research for this report has identified an
opportunity to help move people through
the shelter system quicker. This recom-
mendation stemmed directly from
discussions with the emergency shelters
themselves and is further proof of their
commitment to transfer individuals into
appropriate housing.
A proposed course of action would be to
seek that the Province review this obstacle
and consider options. Re-directing an
amount of shelter stay clients basic
allowance portion to the shelter (with
appropriate per diem offset reduction) is
a consideration, though there are sensitivi-
ties and legalities to be navigated.
Other options would present upon
Provincial review that may better satisfy
the goal of removing any financial
incentive to avoid housing when offered
by a shelter housing facilitator to a client.
Housing First philosophy should evolve
in order for cultural differences to
be recognized. Indigenous and other
clients are not meeting housing
allowance eligibility requirements
despite having lengthy, non-shelter
based histories of homelessness
The housing allowances eligibility require-
ments should be modified to recognize
Indigenous culture. This includes acknowl-
edging Indigenous clients’ unique patterns
of homelessness, such as patterns of
shelter stays and temporary stays with
friends and/or families. 18 The housing
18 “A Position Paper on the Implementation of
Housing First Among Agencies of Ottawa’s
Aboriginal Community Advisory Board.”
p. 71. (2016).
allowance eligibility requirements also
disproportionately affect youth (indige-
nous and otherwise) who are experiencing
homelessness. Very recently the City
has removed the shelter stay length
requirement, mandating only that there
must be a history of homelessness. This is
a positive step and other cultural accom-
modations should be explored.
The prioritization process is further
hampered by the use of the Service
Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool
(SPDAT) in its current form. Concerns have
been raised by Indigenous communities
about the shortcomings of the tool.
In particular, it has elements that are
deemed culturally insensitive and overly
intrusive. 19 Very recently work has
commenced with service partners to begin
to address this issue. As a start the option
has been extended to disregard the SPDAT
tool in the case of concern over cultural
insensitivity.
There is an opportunity to further refine
SPDAT with key Indigenous stakeholders
to offer a more inclusive tool that can
properly assess Indigenous clients. City
of Ottawa staff have signaled a willingness
to work on this with the sector recently.
It is recommended this continue.
19 “A Position Paper on the Implementation of
Housing First Among Agencies of Ottawa’s
Aboriginal Community Advisory Board.”
p. 44-46. (2016).
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
4. Improve family
shelter conditions
The buildings that house two City of
Ottawa family shelters are in a state
of degradation that significantly limits
their effectiveness in serving the families
housed there. Ottawa has an opportunity
to sell these two properties for their land
value, including highest and best use
zoning uplift values and reinvest the
proceeds in a more effective and
better system.
The quality of life of the families in these
facilities needs to be at the forefront of
our efforts and the status quo of current
operations is not sufficient. “Serious
consideration must be given to upgrading
or replacing the Forward Avenue Shelter
as its capacity to provide reasonable
accommodation to families over many
months is seriously inadequate.” Somerset
West Community Health and Resource
Centre was one organization that
responded to this report identifying the
need for significant improvement with
the family run shelters in Ottawa.
Directions to Consider
Invest in a new, modern model that
would create and pilot a ‘Families
First’ Centre.
Families arriving at the existing family
shelter facilities are supported in the best
ways in which we now can given the
paradigm model they currently exist in.
21
Moving away from a ‘shelter’ model a
Families First Centre could address in
collaboration with multi-sector partners:
• Youth homelessness
• Mental and physical wellness
• Educational and employment
connections
• Include existing supports from
the Families First program
• Support youth and infant mental health
(see http://www.parentinginottawa.ca/
en/infant-and-early-childhood-mental-
health.aspx)
• Connect traumatized families to the
supports required for the social
determinants of health
• Inoculate against further youth crisis
While it would be ideal for families arriving
at a 24-hour Families First Centre if they
could be located in a home within the
community as quickly as possible there
are at times legitimate reasons why a
short stay may be appropriately helpful.
In such cases, by addressing the service
needs above, a new facility could properly
and quickly work to re-house a family
assuming the availability of housing within
the community (either social, affordable,
public or private). Concurrently and
following housing the Centre could
continue to be a hub of support to
the family.
Either with new built form or by investing
in growing capacity this approach
connects with the overarching priority
investment of addressing youth
22 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
homelessness. In addition investment in
this area aligns with other local funders
and service providers such as the United
Way Ottawa’s ‘All that kids can be’ and
‘From poverty to possibility’ goals, as well
as the work of the Youth Services Bureau.
Addressing the shortcomings of the family
shelter system is on the City’s radar, but
federal and provincial funding is required
to make it a viable project.
It is suggested that the City of Ottawa
explore building or capacity options for a
modern and appropriate Families First
Centre. This should include potential
partnerships within the sector and
engagement with federal and provincial
governments on funding allocations. The
estimated cost dependent on size and
other factors is approximately +$16m.
Social, Supportive,
and Affordable
Housing
There is an incredible need for more
social, supportive, and affordable housing
in Ottawa. The following recommenda-
tions relate to initiatives that can directly
build on the City’s current housing stock
and get more people in stable and appro-
priate housing situations.
There are a number of social housing
providers in Ottawa, with Ottawa Community
Housing Corporation representing the
largest (housing approximately 75% of
Ottawa’s social housing residents). The
current supply represents 18,500 social
housing units with 53 unique providers.
There are over 10,000 people on Ottawa’s
social housing waitlist. This figure however
becomes a serious disincentive for
residents in core housing need to
add their names to the list because of
the average 4-5 or 8-10 year wait time
depending on their prioritization. It is
notable that while the list has not appre-
ciably decreased in a decade, it has also
not increased despite growing need. The
appearance that the ‘line is just too long’
acts as a deterrent for people who should
be registering to receive housing assis-
tance. The process is also confusing and
not overly transparent for applicants.
Applicants must update their eligibility
annually, if they fail to do so their file is
archived. If they do not make contact
within the next year their file is termi-
nated, and they are removed from the
wait list. The waitlist therefore is not an
accurate picture of those throughout
Ottawa who need affordable housing.
The number of new applications for rent
geared to income (RGI) housing is three
times the number of those being housed.
We have approximately 24,000 affordable
housing options and 48,000 households in
need in Ottawa. 20
The demand for social housing is high,
and we need to experiment with new
ideas and initiatives to create adequate
stock. The list of recommendations below
20 Shelley VanBuskirk, Housing Services,
(February 27, 2018).
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
is not comprehensive but should prompt
the City to think about innovative and
traditional build & buy options for creating
more social housing. Concurrently
important is the need to maintain portfo-
lios and make sure the social housing we
have is a reasonable place to live.
Affordable housing is a major problem
throughout Canada’s big cities. The Big
City’s Mayor’s Caucus has taken a special
examination on this issue after describing
how “Access to affordable housing is
critical to the health, well-being, and
economic prosperity of Canadians and
newcomers. In many big cities, houses
are getting more expensive and rents are
on the rise. There are too few low-rent
options. Many existing social housing units
are at risk of having to increase the rent as
long-term federal government subsidy
agreements end.” 21
As a municipality, we must make the best
use of all the tools available to us to help
increase affordable housing in our cities.
Our focus cannot turn away from those
who are experiencing housing difficulties
entirely and only for economic reasons.
This is an area where we look to the
Provincial and Federal governments for
leadership and our sector partners for
guidance. With the Federal National
Housing Strategy now available and
the Province’s Fair Housing Strategy
progressing we are already seeing some
steps unfold.
21 Big City’s Mayor’s Caucus,
Affordable Housing. (2017).
23
National Housing
Strategy –
Key Initiatives
Canada’s first ever National Housing
Strategy was announced in November
2017 and is a 10-year $40B plan that
will help more Canadians find a place
to call home.

The strategy will result in 100,000 new

housing units, 300,000 repaired or
renewed housing units, 530,000 house-
holds removed from housing need,
385,000 households protected from losing
an affordable home, 50,000 benefiting
from an expansion of community housing,
and a 50% reduction in the estimated
number of chronically homeless shelter
users. To read the National Housing
Strategy in its entirety please refer to
Appendix IV.

A focus on the following programs
will help people in innumerable ways.
The impact on Municipal governments
ability to help those most in need will be
enhanced. City of Ottawa staff have been
reviewing the National Housing Strategy
program and policy announcements and
will present to Committee and Council
the opportunities the city has to take
advantage of these new programs. Several
of the tools presented in the National
Strategy are variations on current tools in
use, such as the Canada Housing Benefit
which appears to be an enhanced Rent
Supplement of the type the City of Ottawa
currently offers. These types of tools,
Meeting with Minister Duclos and Mayor Watson
during the consultations on the National
Housing Strategy
if stackable together would begin to
approach an appropriate monthly rent
support of the kind advocated for by many
organizations (see appendix V, EOLO
submission on Portable Housing Benefits).
As these are new programs we would
recommend that City of Ottawa staff
continue to collaborate with the housing
sector in Ottawa and the Housing System
Working Group to provide feedback to the
federal government on how new programs

24 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City

may need to be adapted or modified to
respond to local need. Concurrently our
recommendation to the federal govern-
ment is that they be receptive to municipal
feedback and nimble to amending
program rules and policies to ensure the
greatest impact in the shortest amount of
time. We expect that there will be ongoing
communications between federal and
municipal government at the staff level.
Respecting that municipal staff will have
ongoing discussions with Federal staff
surrounding the program, when there
is an impasse or a significant update it
is suggested a timely escalation of this
information to committee and council
take place.
5. Building new affordable
and supportive housing,
locations of opportunity
While there is ongoing work by the City of
Ottawa and the sector to build, renovate
and expand on affordable housing there
are several opportunities to accelerate this
work by capitalizing on key sites.
Directions to Consider
Identify signature Transit Oriented
Development (TOD) properties where
supportive and affordable, builds
should happen
There are a number of opportunities
throughout the city that meet the TOD
lens and could be landmark projects in
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
Ottawa. This would be an opportunity
to blend the positive connectivity of LRT
with social and affordable housing in a
meaningful way.
Three examples, in particular, represent
significant potential and discussions with
staff to further explore the feasibility of
each of the sites has begun.
747 Richmond Rd (Cleary Station)
The Cleary Station location along the
upcoming Stage 2 Confederation Line
is near existing supportive housing with
the Unitarian House less than 100 meters
away. Incorporating a new supportive
housing development into the Cleary
Station presents a unique opportunity to
further signal the City’s commitment to
embed affordable supportive housing
near transit and utilizing its own lands.
Tunney’s Pasture
The Federal government has a Tunney’s
Pasture Master Plan (TPMP) outline that
states the importance of the location and
opportunities for future development:
“The Tunney’s Pasture Master Plan will
guide the transformation of Tunney’s
Pasture from a traditional employment
centre to a vibrant, mixed-use neighbour-
hood. This will be founded upon
transit-oriented development best
practices, progressively integrating with
surrounding neighbourhoods, and
providing a high quality public realm
as well as amenities for the broader
community.”
25
The TPMP further outlines “the capacity
for a multi-unit residential development of
3,400 to 3,700 units, offering opportunities
to live close to work and public transit”
should be a core feature of future
Tunney’s Pasture development. 22
This same rationale makes it ideal for
supportive, affordable, and/or social
housing and is line with the Federal
Government pledge to deliver Federal
lands into the hands of affordable
housing operators.
440 Albert St (old Ottawa Technical
High School)
The old Ottawa Technical High School sits
on one of the most desirable pieces of
land within the downtown core of the city.
In its current use, it is significantly under-
developed and could serve as a prime
candidate for renewal with affordable and/
or supportive housing built into its next
iteration. This is another opportunity to
place affordable housing in a key location
within the city.
Ottawa Community Housing Portfolio
Management Strategy
Discussions have begun with Ottawa
Community Housing with respect to
emerging opportunities through their
renewal strategy and plan. For example,
one site currently under review could
sustain a 300% increase in density while
creating a new mixed use community
of affordable, supportive and market
housing.
22 Government of Canada, Tunney’s Pasture
Master Plan. (2017).
26 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
It is proposed the City aggressively pursue
and establish signature TOD affordable
housing related developments. The invest-
ment to do so (in general) is $150K+ per
door, plus contingency funding and capital
acquisition of any land. $500K in operating
funding is also required in supportive
housing developments (~40 units) plus
tools and incentives.
6. The fast track to housing
stock: help people buy out
The traditional method of creating housing
was for funding to flow to a housing
provider who would then buy land and
construct building(s) purpose built often
into a self-contained rental community. If
ideal communities are created from mixed
use property types, mixed incomes and
mixed demographics of residents then
there is an argument to capitalize on the
existing housing market. Ottawa requires
more housing. The private market has
scattered mixed use housing that could
be ready to buy immediately. Through
researching this report no compelling
reason was found why the City of Ottawa
cannot add to its social housing stock by
arranging the purchase of a number of
freehold houses, townhouses, or other
housing product from private developers
for affordable housing. A down payment
program operated by the City of Ottawa as
a one-time pilot indicated success but was
not repeated due to funding constraints.
From a housing perspective, our goal
should be to successfully house individuals
with the appropriate supports, it is less
important how the building was built
or purchased.
From the perspective of the creation of
new housing by the private market in a
variety of affordability bandwidths it is
suggested the city review the submission
of the Eastern Ontario Landlords
Organization: “The private rental market
and the move-up effect” included as
appendix VI.
Directions to Consider:
Purchase a number of privately
built houses to use specifically for
affordable housing – targeting those
with economic barriers only
Ottawa Community Housing as the City
owned housing provider should investi-
gate partnering with an entity such as
Habitat for Humanity to evaluate and pre
screen OCH tenants whose only barrier to
moving out of OCH is that they will never
gather a down payment or cannot afford
market rent. Once validated OCH could
fund the down payment on a purchase
of an existing home. This strategy offers
an opportunity to move people through
the system removing ‘house blockers’.
A preliminary comparison of per door
OCH build costs versus the private
sector purchase costs identifies potential
cost savings.
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
There could be further additional cost
savings compared to the private market
if the city committed to a quantity buy.
Additional work would be required with
OCH to ensure this does not degrade
their percentage of market rent units
below that which is fiscally feasible to
their portfolio.
Through initial discussions with CMHC
exploring federal support for such a
project, they indicated that it could be
possible to pursue. Ongoing discussions
will be held with CMHC in light of their
May 2017 funding announcement to
Habitat for Humanity Saskatchewan
(see https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/
nero/nere/2017/2017-05-05-1215.cfm).
As Habitat for Humanity Canada
indicated in its submission to the Federal
Government in advance of the National
Housing Strategy, “While our submission
on Canada’s national housing strategy
recommends investing in all parts of the
housing continuum, our focus is in the
area of affordable homeownership”
(see appendix VII).
From an investment perspective the
average price of a residential home in
2016 was $371,901. A home ownership
down payment program is ~$30K per
household.
27
7. Funding for new thinking
Many organizations consulted for this
report indicated while the daily delivery of
their services took primacy, there was a
strong desire to collaborate around inno-
vative ways to assist more people in need.
This desire was dampened by several
limiting factors: few organizations fund
innovative thought work and few agencies
have the resources of staff time to partici-
pate in such activities. Additionally, the
fear of failure of an idea to prosper and Working with our partners, CMHC at their National
having to account for its failure with public Housing Day symposium
or donor dollars is prohibitive to an estab-
lished organization. Funding flows based
on success with projects, not attempts at CMHC has a much larger Federal
new things. If everyone is in the forest, Innovation Fund that focuses on large
seeing over the tree tops becomes difficult developments to address affordable
and innovation and entrepreneurship are housing throughout Canada.
welcome in our community – as long as
This pilot innovation fund could focus on
its someone else’s investment.
local solutions and creative ideas that can
sometimes make peoples lives better
Directions to Consider through simple changes.
Create an Innovation Fund to allow
organizations to pilot programs aimed 8. The mortar between
at providing clients with the necessary the bricks – supporting
skills, abilities, and treatments to supportive and affordable
strengthen their well-being and housing clients
independence “As a long-time partner of the City of
Ottawa, we look forward to working
Service providers have indicated that they
together to continue to find new
have a keen interest in pursuing innova-
opportunities to further the work
tive ideas to help find stable housing and
on ending homelessness in Ottawa”
success for their clients.
Options Bytown.

28 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City


New supportive housing in the community delivered
by Cornerstone Housing for Women
There are a number of options available
to help people find and keep supportive,
affordable, and social housing. The
following recommendations outline a few
of the key elements that will enable the
City of Ottawa to further help individuals
with their unique housing needs. The
Housing sector has shown tremendous
resolve in working through issues and
collaboration with the City for the common
good needs to be further developed.
Driving collaboration between private
enterprise and nonprofits to provide more
supportive housing units across the city
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
provides further opportunities for
housing. With the assistance of portable
and flexible rent supplements/housing
allowances and a support care team to
achieve successful tenancies, we can
harness the power of collaboration.
The housing sector has requested
assistance in helping to foster these
collaborative efforts.
While not providing actual “doors” or
houses the following recommendations
highlight a number of opportunities to
expand or improve upon existing efforts
and conditions:
Directions to Consider
Housing allowances need to reflect
the cost of housing
The value of the Housing Allowances (HA)
being provided by the City is not enough
to contend with the high market rent
prices. This pressure on all HA clients is
exacerbated on certain subsets. Many
Indigenous clients for example on social
assistance have difficulties obtaining
employment due to racism and discrimi-
nation, making it impossible to afford
market rent prices. The monetary value
of the Housing Allowances being offered
should be increased.
The process to obtain a Housing Allowance
should also be reviewed, as it is difficult
for many clients to qualify for a Housing
Allowance as current eligibility require-
ments are that the person must be
29
experiencing chronic homelessness (180
days or more in a calendar year in shelter/
street) as there is a limited amount of
Housing Allowances.
Housing Allowances need to rise in accor-
dance with the true cost of housing. Costs
associated with an increase could range
$330k to $1.6M depending on the increase
to the current housing allowance ($50 to
$250 additional per person per month),
the higher the increase, the fewer allow-
ances are available given limited budget
currently assigned. New investments are
underway now using the Provincial ‘Home
for Good’ funding that will provide 310
individuals with an up to $500/month
housing allowance. Groups identified as
a provincial priority such as indigenous
residents, youth, the chronically homeless
and people exiting provincial institutions
will be a focus.
More financial supports should be
provided for move-ins 23
Service provider program staff noted that
clients have moved into their housing
without furniture and an adequate food
supply. More funding should be provided
to clients so that they can adequately
furnish their apartments and have secure
food access. An investment here of $150k
per every 100 clients ($1,500.00 per client
23 Aboriginal Community Advisory Board.
Response to Ottawa’s Special Liaison on
Housing and Homelessness’ Questionnaire.
(2017).
30 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
average including program costs) would
alleviate client pressure and pressure on
ancillary assistive agencies (Food Cupboards
supplied by Food Banks for example).
Current Rent geared to income and
receipt of ODSP/Ontario Works
approach should be re-examined
Stephane Giguere from Ottawa
Community Housing has identified that
the “current RGI approach, with near
immediate rent increases when income
increases, does not provide an incentive
for individuals to increase income,
education or gain employment.” 24
“Similarly those receiving disability have
the fear of losing disability income forever
if they wish to try and re-enter the
workforce. There needs to be greater
alignment of the overall objective of these
policies and programs with housing, recog-
nizing the overall housing system; and the
creation of mechanisms that promote
re-entry into the labour market.” 25
Incentives need to be aligned to bring
people through their difficulties rather
than stalling them in the same spot.
Steps that help to bring people out of
housing difficulties quicker should be
given increased review.
24 Ottawa Community Housing. Response to
Ottawa’s Special Liaison on Housing and
Homelessness’ Questionnaire. (2017).
25 Ibid.
Lobbying the provincial government to
reexamine their legislation with respect to
current rent geared to income and ODSP/
Ontario Works rules to influence the long
term housing strategy has merit. There will
be short term losses by allowing increased
income without immediate clawback, but if
this helps more people become employed
and then eventually not needing financial
assistance than it is a worthwhile invest-
ment of resources. Given the Provincial
Government’s progress in its plans for
income security it is believed this recom-
mendation would find willing partners
Adopt inclusionary zoning tools
in Ottawa
The City’s Planning Branch is working
hand in hand with our Affordable Housing
unit to establish the opportunities, gaps,
objectives, and work program required to
successfully implement IZ measures. A
response to the Provincial Government’s
request for input has been approved by
Council. In general, it focuses on the
following key items for consideration:
1. The City feels the direction for
affordable ownership housing is a
good first step, but a companion
regulation is needed to deal with the
rental sector, which is a crucial
component to address Ottawa’s
affordable housing needs.
2. The City is concerned about the
requirement for municipalities to
offset 40% of the cost of making
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
units affordable through specified
incentives. As written, this would be
a detriment to the City’s existing
affordable housing programs and
would be a significant barrier to
implementing inclusionary zoning.
We would ask that the Province
reconsider this requirement.
3. The proposed regulation creates
potentially complex and burdensome
implementation requirements and
municipal decision making should
be permitted in key provisions
such as unit set-aside rates, off-site
replacement restrictions and equity
sharing models.
The implementation complexities
and costs of IZ are very much unknown
at this point especially if the Provincial
Government maintains the proposed
40% contribution from municipalities.
Regardless of the startup challenges the
value long term of IZ is promising.
Expand our ability to support
affordable housing developments
in the Planning Department
Create several full time positions in the
Planning Department whose job it is to
become subject matter experts on
planning and funding tools for affordable
housing and actively seek out underdevel-
oped properties and offer incentives (such
as waiver of charges/fees) to develop
affordable housing or partner with
someone who does.
31
It is proposed the City create position(s) Directions to Consider
in the Planning Department whose sole
Advocate for different utility rates
focus is on affordable housing. Funding
for new types of incentives in the very low
for affordable housing, including
and low income bandwidth are currently social housing
offered under the Action Ottawa program
In British Columbia and Quebec social
and similar types of incentives could be
housing providers are on a different
considered to incentivize further afford-
electricity rate structure, but in Ontario,
able housing development in higher
everyone is on the same one with the
income bandwidths. Creation of FTE’s
exception of several large industry organi-
would be determined based on prevailing
zations. Ottawa Hydro is prepared to
salary scales.
approach the Ontario Energy Board with a
proposal for a pilot project in Ottawa that
9. Leverage smart
would offer different rates to affordable
partnerships
housing providers. The pilot may initially
Success rarely happens in a vacuum. be quite limited, but it has the potential
Partnerships have for many years been for further expansion.
a key factor in making the advances we
Utilities typically account for between
have in Ottawa to help many of our most
15-25% of operating costs for housing
vulnerable. We have a caring and compas-
providers and rates are continually rising.
sionate community that largely embraces 26
“Funding that’s made available can be
the call to assist those in need. In more
further leveraged and contribute to
recent years even, organizations once
specific government targets such as
considered islands have become more
carbon emission reduction and asset
collaboratively minded and sought
value. Funding allocation, which prioritizes
progress through partnership. There are
and is linked to specific requirements or
however only so many traditional players
outcomes sought, would be very effective
on the field and opportunities should be
in meeting these requirements and
explored to broaden those partnerships to
outcomes. This would also enable the best
non-traditional organizations that can play
use of the funding. For example - funds
a role in mitigating pressures. Existing
would be allocated based on a recipient’s
partnerships should be examined for
ability to: a) replace existing aged housing
enhancement or re-framing.
or housing in poor condition and add
additional new housing; b) enable more

26 Ottawa Community Housing. Response to

Ottawa’s Special Liaison on Housing and
Homelessness’ Questionnaire. (2017).

32 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City

efficient utility consumption; and c) increase
durability and reduce operating and
capital costs.” 27
In collaboration with OCH, the OCH Board
unanimously passed a motion directing
the CEO to engage with Hydro Ottawa to
develop and submit a request to the
Ontario Energy Board to at minimum
consider a pilot project with OCH.
It is proposed the Mayor and the Chair of
the Board of Ottawa Community Housing
and Hydro Ottawa write to the Provincial
Minister of Energy and the OEB to lobby
for the approval of the request once
developed.
Consideration should be given to
making the municipally owned
affordable housing provider (OCH)
a developer of choice (though not
to the exclusion of other agencies)
enabling the city to direct funding,
such as Investments in Affordable
Housing, to them
This streamlined process would reduce
administration and procurement related
costs to provide even greater value to both
the City and housing providers. 28 Other
Canadian cities such as Toronto and
27 Ottawa Community Housing. Response to
Ottawa’s Special Liaison on Housing and
Homelessness’ Questionnaire. (2017). 3).
28 Ottawa Community Housing. Response to
Ottawa’s Special Liaison on Housing and
Homelessness’ Questionnaire. (2017).
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
Peterborough have variations on this
approach with successful outcomes
identified.
While there may be hesitancy about lack
of competition for project funding, or
concerns of a less transparent RFP process
it is suggested a model be explored with
the sector that allows for the municipally
owned and largest housing provider in the
city to leverage its strengths further by
becoming a source resource for other
housing providers as an offset to
becoming a preferred developer.
Review the centralized housing
waitlist to find opportunities for
improvement in operation that
could inform data driven decision
making within the sector
Ottawa Social Housing Network does a
great amount of work and has sound
working relationships with many in the
housing sector.
Throughout the rest of Ontario, the vast
majority of waiting list management is
In-house within municipalities. Research
has shown some of the key challenges
with using the external agency manage-
ment model are that it presents barriers
to providing integrated social services to
waiting list applicants.
The City does not necessarily need to
follow the examples in the rest of Ontario,
but work should be done to understand
how well current operations are meeting
33
the needs of individuals on the waitlist It is suggested the City review our
and the agencies that serve those social housing waitlist process and bring
residents across the housing and social recommendations forward in regard
support continuum. to a preferred service delivery model.

We have heard conflicting viewpoints

10. Recognizing the distinct
and beliefs around the centralized waiting
needs of Indigenous and
list and how to manage it. There are
proponents of the status quo, bringing
First Nations
it within the city, and the potential of a In consultation with Ottawa’s Aboriginal
hybrid approach. Community Advisory Board (ACAB) the
following directions flow from a body
Housing Services will be providing
of extensive work performed in identifying
Community and Protective Services
responses to the unique needs of
Committee with a Ten Year Plan update in
First Nations Indigenous and Metis
March 2018 and a mid-point review of the
(FNIM) peoples.
Plan will take place over 2018-2019 and
involve broad stakeholder engagement.
Based on the research for this report and Directions to Consider
the upcoming mid-point review, we would Housing First services for Indigenous
suggest a review of Ottawa’s social clients should be developed in
housing wait list. In particular, the focus collaboration with Indigenous agencies
should be on universal best practices
regarding wait lists. The Ottawa market The Indigenous homeless population is a
context should also be appropriately unique population that requires a unique
considered. response. Generic homeless service
agencies will often not have the tools
Along with service agency partners and
and knowledge to adequately address
housing providers the city could be more
the complexity of the experiences of
proactive on current pressures and
Indigenous people, including inter-
emerging trends if, we better understood
generational trauma, historical trauma,
the data and analytics of the waitlist.
lateral violence, racism, discrimination,
Service providers and partners need better
and oppression.
information on, among other things:
Therefore, Indigenous agencies should
• How long residents are on the waitlist
continue to receive specialized and
• How residents come off the list (aside expanded funding to develop culturally-
from being housed) informed services.
• When people are reactivated on the list

34 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City

The recommendations provided by the
analysis of the Housing First program in
Edmonton provides an example of how
Housing First can be modified to fit within
an Indigenous-lens:
• Life-skills training in Indigenous
and non-indigenous life
• Mentorship opportunities for staff
and clients
• Indigenous program design and models
• Involving Indigenous Elders
• Working with and fostering relationships
with Indigenous organizations
• Daily informal in-home visitations
• Peer mentoring relationships
• Combating isolation and loneliness
that may arise from independent living
• Therapeutic services aimed at healing
from the legacy of intergenerational
trauma
• Employing Indigenous staff
• Training for staff on the Housing first
model and on Indigenous culture and
colonization and decolonization 29
It is proposed that consistent with the City
of Ottawa’s response to the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission we mutually
recognize an increased level of collabora-
tion between the City and Indigenous
community related to the Housing First
framework and outflowing policies.
29 “A Position Paper on the Implementation of
Housing First Among Agencies of Ottawa’s
Aboriginal Community Advisory Board.”
p. 22-23. (2016).
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
The City should consult the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission of
Canada Report when making decisions
regarding Indigenous programming 30
Recommendations from the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission of Canada
Report should be consulted and honoured
when the City makes decisions regarding
Indigenous programming. In general,
the City should recognize the right to
self-determination for Indigenous people.
Indigenous programming should be
developed by Indigenous people, for
Indigenous people.
In 2016 Ottawa City Council directed
Community and Social Services (CSS)
staff to review the TRC Calls to Action and
report back options for action respecting
activities that may fall within the purview
of the City of Ottawa. Over the past year,
CSS staff have undertaken the following
activities to determine how the City
of Ottawa can respond to TRC Calls to
Action and demonstrate a commitment to
reconciliation. Five Key Action Areas are
proposed for a Municipal Course of Action
and to begin the journey to responding to
the TRC Calls to Action. 31
The City is also open to adding additional
items over time as part of an ongoing
commitment to reconciliation.
30 Aboriginal Community Advisory Board.
Response to Ottawa’s Special Liaison on
Housing and Homelessness’ Questionnaire.
(2017).
31 City of Ottawa, Internal memo to staff.
(2017).
35
It is proposed there be increased
programming development by Indigenous
people and continued focus on consulting
TRC recommendations.
There needs to be an increase in the
number of good quality, affordable
housing options for all, but specific
to FNIM residents a recognition of
the housing barriers encountered by
Indigenous clients 32
There is not enough affordable housing
available to address our entire community
need. This is particularly challenging
for Indigenous clients as they are at a
disadvantage for acquiring housing due to
experiences of racism and discrimination
by landlords. Given this challenge, further
funds should be provided to Indigenous
agencies to hire their own housing
locator’s in order to establish networks of
supportive landlords located throughout
the city.
Success in this direction would see the City
increase work to remove housing barriers
encountered by Indigenous clients.
Housing locators are funded ~$65K per
FTE plus benefits, program expenses,
and administration.
32 Aboriginal Community Advisory Board.
Response to Ottawa’s Special Liaison on Hous-
ing and Homelessness’ Questionnaire. (2017).
36 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
Housing options should acknowledge
the importance of culture and
community for Indigenous Peoples 33
The standard model of scattered-site,
independent housing may not be optimal
for all Indigenous clients. Community and
family are vital to Indigenous identity and
therefore some Indigenous clients may
want to live with members of their family
or community. Other Indigenous clients
will benefit from congregate, supportive
housing. Therefore, culturally appropriate
housing options should be made available
to Indigenous clients.
Indigenous programming and Indigenous
staffing should be increased 34
It is important for FNI clients to work with
Indigenous staff members, as the mutual
sharing of cultural identity assists in the
recapturing of the clients’ Indigenous
identity. Therefore, efforts should be
made to hire more Indigenous case
managers. For example, Wabano has
recently proposed expanding their staff
to include an Indigenous Youth Worker
and a Financial Benefits Worker.
Increasing access to Indigenous Elders
from the First Nation, Inuit, and Métis
communities should also be enhanced.
33 Ibid.
34 Ibid.
Culturally informed drop-in
programming and outreach
should be enhanced 35
The ACAB and FNI serving agencies should
receive more funding to include more
drop-in programming as it helps to
cultivate culture, foster community, and
reduce social isolation. Street outreach
programs should also be enhanced so staff
can better develop relationships with their
clients and begin rapport building at an
earlier stage. The cost of this investment
would be approximately $65K per staff
plus program supplies and administration.
Culturally-sensitive Housing First staff
training should be offered 36
Training from the City should be cultural-
ly-sensitive and contextualized to Ottawa.
Member agencies of the ACAB should be
consulted as to the types of training that
are offered and ensure that these training’s
fit within an Indigenous lens. Indigenous
agencies that have successfully implemented
Housing First services should be approached
to provide training to Indigenous agency
staff in Ottawa. Non-Indigenous homeless
service agencies should be provided more
training on Indigenous culture so as to
improve awareness of the unique experi-
ences of Indigenous clients.
35 Aboriginal Community Advisory Board.
Response to Ottawa’s Special Liaison on Hous-
ing and Homelessness’ Questionnaire. (2017).
36 Ibid.
Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa
The investment required for this training
is $6K per 30 people sourced from
Indigenous Cultural training. To train all
the Housing First staff plus managers
would be ~$16K. While existing resources
for City training do not support this full
expense now it is suggested internal ‘train
the trainer’ capacity be investigated by
enhancing our own internal capacity to
self-train with Indigenous City staff
trainers moving forward.
There should be focused engagement
with the City on Housing First through
an Indigenous liaison or similar position
The City has provided support to the
agencies in the ACAB to implement
Housing First, but the relationship with
the City can be strengthened. Community
consultations with the ACAB are important,
but actionable measures must be taken to
address recommendations developed
from these consultations. To strengthen
this relationship, the creation of an
Indigenous liaison position would be
beneficial. This position could help deliver
feedback from Indigenous agencies to the
City and ensure that directives from the
City are attuned to the needs of the
Indigenous community. 37 The expected
investment in this endeavor would be
~$100K per Community and Social
Services estimate.
37 “A Position Paper on the Implementation of
Housing First Among Agencies of Ottawa’s
Aboriginal Community Advisory Board.”
p. 57. (2016).
37
Next Steps
A trusting relationship with partners and
service providers is critical for the City in
ensuring that the residents these agencies
know best are best helped. Services must
be informed by residents with lived experi-
ence. As has been said, there should be
“nothing about us, without us.”
Partnerships that work, City, Provincial and Federal
representatives alongside Multifaith Housing’s
new community
Affordable housing, homelessness,
and housing insecurity are all issues that
are present and pressing. Establishing
long term sustainable ways to help our
residents who find themselves in unsuit-
able housing is ongoing work. Ottawa
has some innovative programs and efforts
currently underway and we need to
continue to expand on the work done
to date.
38 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City
It is the hope of this report that the appro-
priate partners, levels of government and
community accept, embrace and enact the
recommendations in this report. Putting
these recommendations into action will be
taking meaningful steps to close gaps,
accelerate the City’s 10 year plan and
move further forward in addressing some
of the causes of homelessness.
Conclusion
Speaking with attendees, many of them current or
formerly homeless at the screening of ‘Project Cold
Days’ a moving story of life on Ottawa’s streets
Ottawa is, in many ways, at a crossroads.
We are an emerging large ‘beacon city’
drawing more residents to our community
who bring complexities and challenges,
adding to those life long Ottawa residents
with the same issues we are faced with
two paths. The first would take us the
route of many other large cities into
the ‘management’ of homelessness.
The other leads to the elimination of
chronic homelessness. It’s our choice.
I believe Ottawa is a caring and compas-
sionate city, but beyond that I believe
Ottawa has the capability, the conditions
and the capacity at this point in its history
to create a legacy that will be written into
the fabric of our community; that Ottawa
is a City that more than cares – we are one
that acts. We are stronger together, we do
best when we all do well, and everyone
has a right to a home and to prosper.
Appendices
Appendix I
A Position Paper on the Implementation of
Housing First Among Agencies of Ottawa’s
Aboriginal Community Advisory Board
Appendix II
Definition of Indigenous Homelessness
– Canadian Observatory on Homelessness,
Jesse A. Thistle

The last words of the report are reserved Appendix III

for an individual with lived experience with City of Ottawa’s 10 Year Plan on Housing
homelessness who after finding housing and Homelessness
within the Oaks offered: Appendix IV
“This is the first time I’ve had my Canada’s National Housing Strategy –
own room in over 16 years. It feels A Place to Call Home
like a big family here.” Appendix V
Eastern Ontario Landlords
Organization (EOLO)
Submission on Portable Housing
Benefits 2018

Appendix VI
Eastern Ontario Landlords
Organization (EOLO)
The private rental market and
the move-up effect

Appendix VII
Habitat for Humanity Canada
National Housing Strategy Submission:
Bridging the Gap

*Please note: Appendices are included only in the

original language in which they were provided to
the report team.

Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa 39

Summary of Recommendations
Recommendation Description

1. Expand and • Reinvest HLP money that was removed in 2015

Refocus Housing • Focus HLP delivery on providing services to where people are
Loss Prevention

2. Basic Income • The Mayor formally request that the Province initiate a basic income pilot in Ottawa
and Building • Use the Building Better Revitalized Neighbourhoods (BBRN) framework and tools
Neighbourhoods to strengthen at-risk communities and neighbourhoods throughout Ottawa

3. Provide adequate • Add flexibility and funding to the emergency shelter sector but properly realign it to
emergency and reflect the scope of work shelters do
transition services • Pursue appropriate funding commitments for community and healthcare services that
to people in need are delivered to emergency shelter clients
• An appropriate next step would be for the City of Ottawa and shelter community in
collaboration with the LHIN and Ministry of Ontario Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC)
should review existing health care provision offered by shelters with a view to providing
proper provincial funding to these programs.
• Change Social Assistance Program delivery to incentivize people moving out of shelters
• Housing First philosophy should evolve in order for cultural differences to be recognized.
Indigenous and other clients are not meeting housing allowance eligibility requirements
despite having lengthy, non-shelter based histories of homelessness

4. Improve family • Invest in a new, modern model that would create and pilot a ‘Families First’ Centre
shelter conditions either in built form or community capacity.

5. Building new • Identify signature Transit Oriented Development (TOD) properties where supportive
affordable and and affordable, builds should happen.
supportive housing,
locations of
opportunity

6. The fast track • Purchase a number of privately built houses to use specifically for affordable housing -
to housing stock: targeting those with economic barriers only. Explore partnership with Habitat for
help people buy out Humanity and CMHC.

40 Everyone Together – Ottawa, A Caring and Compassionate City

Recommendation Description

7. Funding for new • Create an Innovation Fund to allow organizations to pilot programs aimed at providing
thinking clients with the necessary skills, abilities, and treatments to strengthen their well-being
and independence

8. The mortar • Housing allowances need to reflect the cost of housing

between the • More financial supports should be provided for move-ins
bricks – supporting
supportive and • Current Rent geared to income and receipt of ODSP/Ontario Works approach should
affordable housing be re-examined
clients • Adopt inclusionary zoning tools in Ottawa
• Expand our ability to support affordable housing developments in the Planning Department

9. Leverage smart • Advocate for different utility rates for affordable housing, including social housing
partnerships • Consideration should be given to making the municipally owned affordable housing
provider (OCH) a developer of choice (though not to the exclusion of other agencies)
enabling the city to direct funding, such as Investments in Affordable Housing, to them.
• Review the centralized housing waitlist to find opportunities for improvement in operation
that could inform data driven decision making within the sector

10. Recognizing the • Housing First services for Indigenous clients should be developed in collaboration
distinct needs of with Indigenous agencies
Indigenous and • The City should consult the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Report
First Nations when making decisions regarding Indigenous programming
• There needs to be an increase in the number of good quality, affordable housing
options for all, but specific to FNI residents a recognition of the housing barriers
encountered by Indigenous clients
• Housing options should acknowledge the importance of culture and community
for Indigenous Peoples
• Indigenous programming and Indigenous staffing should be increased
• Culturally informed drop-in programming and outreach should be enhanced
• Culturally-sensitive Housing First staff training should be offered
• There should be focused engagement with the City on Housing First through an
Indigenous liaison or similar position

Special Liaison’s Report on Housing & Homelessness in Ottawa 41