Community services committee approves new transitional housing strategy

City Hall in downtown Ottawa is seen in this undated file photo. (CTV News Ottawa)

The city of Ottawa's community services committee has approved a plan that aims to address the housing and homelessness crisis.

The city first declared a housing and homelessness emergency in early 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, demand for shelters has increased. Shelters serving single men and single women are currently over capacity, according to a report prepared for committee.

To help alleviate homelessness in Ottawa, staff are recommending committee and council approve an integrated transition to housing strategy that would help find housing for people who become homeless and support them to remain housed while they transition to long-term housing.

In the short-term, staff are looking to develop a prototype housing allowance for singles that could support up to 120 adults and decrease reliance on the shelter system.

The staff report says that provincial housing supports are insufficient to meet market rent in Ottawa.

"Staff are noticing that the provincial maximum allowable rent for a one bedroom apartment is $1,347 (starting July 1, 2023), when summary and averaging of currently listed one-bedroom apartments shows the true median rent in Ottawa for a one bedroom to be $1,800," the report says. "This discrepancy has proven to be a barrier for singles experiencing homelessness, often in receipt of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program, trying to access private market units since the funding formula caps the benefit based on a rent calculation of $1,347 per month."

The program aims to give a deeper subsidy to make market rent more accessible. Eligible people include single adults who are homeless and single clients in supportive housing who could benefit from additional help to transition to a market rent unit, freeing up space for someone else who needs supportive housing.

Staff estimate the cost of this modified housing allowance to be around $2 million per year. It would be funded within the existing approved housing and homelessness budget and other operating budgets.

City staff say 57 units of supportive housing have been completed to date in 2023 and another 198 are being built and should be available in the next 18 months. One hundred and forty-nine supportive housing units were built between 2020 and 2022. Despite this, at least 337 people remain on a waitlist for supportive housing as of April.

Over the long-term, staff suggest building a supportive housing community hub that could focus on transitioning people to permanent housing.

The plan was approved unanimously at committee and will rise to full city council for consideration July 12.