Friday, May 22, 2009, Ottawa – This morning, the Leadership Table on Homelessness (LTH) announced that, through the support of the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Community Housing and the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, 100 chronically homeless people in our community will be placed in supportive housing within the next few weeks. The LTH also released Destination: Home, a plan for our community to address and eliminate chronic homelessness.

“We have a simple message - chronic homelessness in Ottawa can be confronted, reduced and even outright eliminated within a decade provided we marshal the resources and the will required,” said Janet Yale, Chair of the LTH. “We are urging all corners of our community to come together in support of a ‘Housing First’ approach that will offer a permanent. stable home for those who are chronically homeless combined with the support required to meet their individual needs. Such a strategy has worked elsewhere and it can work in Ottawa as well.

Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) has committed to provide 50 social housing units each year for the next three years to house chronically homeless individuals. In year one, OCH will surpass this commitment by providing 76 units. Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation has committed an additional 24 units — bringing the total to 100 units for this year.

The City of Ottawa is committing $1 million in annual funding to provide supports for 100 chronically homeless people in a social or private rental housing unit as a direct result of advocacy efforts from the LTH members. This funding has been allocated to five organizations: Horizons Renaissance Inc., John Howard Society, Ottawa Salus, Canadian Mental Health Association and Options Bytown.

“The City of Ottawa is committed to making sure that the number of families and individuals living without stable housing is reduced while at the same time ensuring that chronically homeless people receive the services they need to stay in their home,” said Michel Bellemare, Acting Mayor, City of Ottawa. “We know that the strategy adopted by the Leadership Table on Homelessness has proven to be successful in other cities, and we’re proud to be part of creating and contributing to that solution in our city.” 

“Eliminating chronic homelessness in Ottawa within 10 years is attainable when we ensure that people are not only provided with housing but also receive the support they need to stay in that home,” said the Honourable Jim Watson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “The LTH has also recognized the importance of engaging individuals and organizations from all sectors of the community. It is a model for other communities across Ontario in their work toward ending chronic homelessness.”

The Leadership Table on Homelessness (LTH) consists of business leaders, government officials, community agencies and members of the faith community, who have come together to implement a plan to end chronic homelessness in Ottawa. The LTH is a community-wide initiative, supported by United Way Ottawa and the City of Ottawa.

For more information, please contact:
Kate Headley, United Way/Centraide Ottawa
Phone: (613) 221-0063 or Cell: (613) 297-2845
E-mail: nbaker@unitedwayottawa.ca