September 22, 2202
One of our mayoral candidates in the municipal election, for Ottawa this fall,
vows to end chronic homelessness in Ottawa, in four years. This is a bold and noble goal. Does this mean that there will be no homeless in Ottawa in four years? Do we know how many homeless people we’ll have in Ottawa in four years? No, we do not. But, OK. This is a lofty goal, and we should not get hung up on details.
I found statistics on homelessness in Ottawa difficult to understand. The best information I gathered is there are between 1400 and 1800 homeless in Ottawa, on an average day.
Compared to other Canadian cities, the size of Ottawa’s homeless population is not the worst. The homeless population in Red Deer is 0.31 percent of the population; in Vancouver and Edmonton, it is 0.27 percent, while in Ottawa, it is 0.18 percent.
Homeless people concentrate downtown Ottawa to the huge displeasure of the area’s residents, while the problem is much less apparent elsewhere in the city.
In a survey conducted on October 27 and 28, in Ottawa, 55 percent of the homeless used shelters while 9 percent slept on the streets. Others bunked down with friends. (Over half of the homeless were racialized, and of all the homeless, over 25 percent were Canadian natives).
The mayoral candidate proposes to build “supportive” housing for 250 individuals and provide housing “allowances” for another 250 people and families. Although it is good to have a specific proposal, the downside is that there may be more homeless in four years, in which case, the candidate will not achieve the stated goal.
But, to me, the more important question is whether a sustainable long-term solution to the homeless problem is achievable by building and subsidizing housing. Why have people become homeless in the first place? Surveys show that although housing is important, substance abuse, poverty, mental health issues, and low wages are common characteristics among the homeless. I think these underlying issues will have to be dealt with before finding a sustainable solution. Otherwise, this proposal will be nothing more than a bandaid for the short term.
And if the word spreads that Ottawa is kind to the homeless and provides housing for them, the homeless from other parts of Canada may flock to Ottawa. The homeless population may balloon.
The City of Portland OR is an example, where a sympathetic Mayor tolerated tent encampments to such an extent that in some neighborhoods people are afraid to walk on the streets. Vandalism and robbery have become common. I am sure Ottawan does not want to follow the Portland example.
Providing subsidized housing is one answer to homelessness, but until governments deal with mental health issues, substance abuse, education, and the availability of sustaining jobs, I do not believe homelessness will be solved any time soon.
andrasthehun.ca 