'We can do better': Conversation on tent-like structures to house asylum seekers heats up

Ottawa is seeing an influx of asylum seekers.

In the Ottawa Mission's latest report on food insecurity and homelessness, that surge was noted as having a significant impact on service offered by the city's oldest and largest homeless shelter.

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"The arrival of asylum seekers has meant significant impacts on frontline and emergency services, meal services, clothing room operations, and other shelter programs," reads a portion of the report.

"The shelter is grateful for the support of the community and the City of Ottawa to meet these needs, but the continuing need among asylum seekers is not sustainable and support from other levels of government is urgently required for our community."

Alta Vista and Barrhaven neighbourhoods are now being shortlisted as possible candidates for the installation of a tent-like "sprung structure" to house asylum seekers.

The structures, made with aluminum substructures and tensioned fabric membrane, could include up to 150 beds while also accommodating private rooms and social services.

A source tells CTV News one of the areas that is being considered for the plan is plot of land off Greenbank Rd. and Highbury Park Dr.

Barrhaven is one of the neighbourhoods being shortlisted as a possible candidate for the installation of a tent-like "sprung structure" to house asylum seekers.

An official shortlist of locations that are in consideration is expected to be released in the coming days.

"The City of Ottawa is committed to working with the community and Council to support the inflow of newcomers to Ottawa. Staff continue to complete the due diligence to confirm the viability of the proposed sites" said the city's manager of Homelessness Systems and Operations Kale Brown in a statement to CTV News.

"We recognize there is significant interest in the shortlisted sites. Updates will be shared with Council and the public once details are confirmed."

City staff say the goal is to open the tent-like structures in 2025.

In the meantime, Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill says the city should reconsider the plan to build tent-like structures altogether.

"From the get-go I have wanted a more dignified solution than communal tent structures and I really think that if we're looking at a timeline of 13 to 18 months, we can do better," he said.

"You want to have a good structure like the Walter Baker building to be in if there's going to be a windstorm, if there's going to be a flood, if there's going to be a power outage, and all of those things are exacerbated in a sprung shelter."

City staff say the structures are cost-effective and quick to build, but Element5, an Ontario mass timber manufacturer that has worked on numerous affordable housing projects across the province, says there are other options like modular buildings.

"They're very fast to assemble and they're affordable to assemble as well, so we think this is a better solution than putting people in a tent, and a more dignified approach to housing the homeless in Ottawa," said Patrick Chouinard, founder of Element5.

"The projects that we have done so far, from contract award to occupancy has been under a year, so we know we can build them quickly and we know we can build them affordably."

For now, Hill is encouraging residents to weigh in on the plan.

"I do think we can do better and since we have a time horizon of over a year to get this sorted out, we can retrofit existing vacant building, we can scale up the existing programming that we have with organizations like Matthew House and other low-income housing providers of which we have many here in Barrhaven," said Hill.

"We are more than willing to do our share here, it's just that we want to do it in the appropriate way that will get the best outcome for Ottawa."

Hill adds that he would like to see more immediate solutions that don't include a 13 to 18 month timeline to house the rising number of asylum seekers coming to the city.