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Ottawa Citizen

Homelessness in Ottawa has reached a record high. What can be done about it?

Homelessness in Ottawa has reached its highest levels ever and will continue to worsen if 'additional investments' aren't made in housing, says a new city report. Article content The city's 2024 Housing Needs Assessment said that if additional funding isn't put into building homes, shelters and transitional housing, homelessness in Ottawa could increase by 58 per cent over the next decade. There could also be an additional 133,000 people at risk of experiencing homelessness during that time period. Article content Article content Article content 'These changes mirror broader affordability pressures and systemic barriers, reinforcing patterns of prolonged shelter stays and limited pathways out of homelessness,' the report said. Article content Article content Shelter demand continues to greatly outpace supply, according to the report. The number of available emergency shelter and transitional housing beds increased from 962 in 2022 to 1,960 in 2024, a more than 103 per cent increase. Article content However, demand for beds increased from 2,134 to 3,377, a 58.2 per cent increase, during that time. Article content According to the city's 2024 'Point-in-Time' count, which was conducted last October, around 2,952 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night. This was a 13 per cent increase since the last PiT Count in 2021 and a 78.5 per cent increase since the 2018 count. Article content The average nightly occupancy in Ottawa's shelter system also increased substantially from the first quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2024. Families made up the bulk of that number from 3,597 people to 5,350, which was around a 48 per cent increase. Article content Article content Article content Indigenous people remained overrepresented among people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa, the new report said. Article content They accounted for 19 per cent of people in the 2024 PiT Count despite making up only 2.6 per cent of the city's total population. The report said the total number of Indigenous people experiencing homeless has increased from 335 to 479 in 2024. Article content Most Indigenous people said low income or high rent costs were a barrier to securing housing. The report also listed several other barriers, including poor housing conditions, a lack of income assistance and mental health challenges.