More people experiencing homelessness sleeping on Ottawa streets, study finds
More of Ottawa’s homeless population are sleeping on the streets and not in emergency shelters, according to new statistics from the city.
The city of Ottawa released the 2021 Enumeration of People Experiencing Homelessness report on Friday, providing officials with a better understanding of the scope and nature of homelessness in the community.
During a 24-hour period on Oct. 27 and 28, the city and 53 partner agencies conducted 1,340 surveys with individuals and families at 114 enumeration sites.
Nine per cent of people experiencing homelessness were staying on the streets in 2021, up from five per cent during the survey in 2018. The survey shows 55 per cent of people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa were staying in shelters, down from 67 per cent three years earlier.
The survey finds 73 per cent of respondents had stayed in an emergency shelter once in the past year.
According to the 2021 data, 13 per cent of people experiencing homelessness were staying in transitional housing, 11 per cent at someone else’s residence and two per cent in encampments.
More than half of the respondents told the city they had been homeless more than 180 days in the previous year.
The survey found 60 per cent of people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa were between the ages of 25 and 49 years old. Eleven per cent of residents identified as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or other sexual orientation, according to the city.
Over half of the 1,340 residents surveyed were identified as racialized. Four per cent of Ottawa’s homeless population are former military or RCMP officers.
Ten per cent of respondents were accompanied by children.
The Ontario Ministry of Housing requires municipalities to conduct an enumeration of people experiencing homelessness every two years. The 2020 survey was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants answer a 10-minute survey about their demographics, health conditions, race, sexual orientation, language, reasons for homelessness, military service, and source of income.
“Ottawa’s 2021 PiT Count provided a snapshot of our population experiencing homelessness and serves as a means to measure our progress toward eliminating chronic homelessness by 2030,” said a memo from acting director of housing services Saide Sayah and Donna Gray, general manager of community and social services.
“This initiative is an important strategic exercise, which has generated results that will enhance our collective knowledge of the needs and realities of people experiencing homeless in our community. The information garnered will also serve us well for our future system planning activities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered
The Israeli military said Wednesday that it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, a key terminal for the entry of humanitarian aid that was closed over the weekend after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.