Tag: homelessness

Housing and Homelessness

February 4, 2024

My local city Councilor jolted me with the following statement in his late January 2024 newsletter: “The issue that I want to focus on for this newsletter is Housing & Homelessness. If ever there was a time in recent memory when this issue was front and centre in the minds of pretty much everyone, this is it. Whether you’re homeless yourself, whether you can’t afford to buy a home, refinance your home, or rent an apartment, or whether you’re worried about challenges that will be faced by the next generation, our current crisis is affecting a majority of Ottawa residents”. Sixty-four percent of Ottawa households own a home! So, how could these issues affect the majority of residents? This statement did not resonate with me on several levels!

On one level, it is not front and center in my mind or my friends’ or neighbors’ minds. It is in the newspapers, on TV channels, and on the radio, but people I know do not discuss and are not interested in those subjects. It is infrequent if they talk about it, and when they do, they mention parts of downtown where people experiencing homelessness congregate. But people I know avoid downtown for lack of parking or the cost, especially since we find all our needs met in the suburbs. In our neighborhood, I have yet to see homeless people. I go out daily, know my neighborhood well, and have not seen homeless people to date. I believe it is a non-issue in my community.

When I talk with my friends, subjects of our discussions relate to the amazingly mild climate this year, the current popularity of hybrid cars, how they function, and whether we should get one, a hip replacement facing a neighbor, a trip by a friend visiting the Abu Simbel Temple in Egypt, and when Trudeau may resign. When nine men met to form a book club, we discussed the need for a men’s book club, the schools we attended, and how we should run our new-fangled book club; for example, should we have lunch before discussing books? Homelessness was never mentioned.

On another level, if my local city Councilor were serious about doing something about homelessness, he should have had some statistics on how many homeless are in our community. All I hear today is “evidence-based” policymaking. So, how about some numbers to substantiate the homelessness issue in general terms and as it exists in our community?

The other subject the Councilor mentions is housing and its affordability. These are current political challenges to satisfying the massive demand for housing created by the influx of newcomers to Canada. The various levels of government blame each other for the housing shortage. One reads that local governments take too long to approve applications for development proposals and charge hefty development fees. Both are disincentives for speedy housing construction. Recent federal government policy let too many students, refugees, and immigrants into Canada, which combined to create a high demand for housing that the construction industry has been unable to cope with. Beyond general curiosity, my friends and I ignore this subject; we all have a house, mortgage-free.

Unless the Councilor can identify homelessness as an issue in our community, I would suggest he focus on our local problems, such as poor road conditions, through traffic, and traffic congestion on surrounding major roads. Many streets are in an abysmal state with potholes. People traversing our community to avoid traffic tie-ups at major intersections endanger our walkers on the streets. The construction of sidewalks and additional streetlights would enhance safety. I believe road maintenance, safety, and traffic control are the real issues in our community. The Councilor could survey residents on what they perceive to be the problems in setting his priorities.

Homelessness in Ottawa; an Election Issue

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.