City of Ottawa ensuring homeless have place to stay, as shelters deal with COVID-19
Posted Feb 3, 2021 09:22:00 PM.
City of Ottawa officials say anyone who is homeless and needs a place to stay will get a bed, even as five local shelters endure COVID-19 outbreaks.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Ottawa Public Health listed five shelters as having COVID-19 outbreaks in progress, leaving them unable to accept new clients.
Over the weekend, Somerset Ward City Councillor Catherine McKenney estimated that the pause in new admissions meant that more than 2,000 people were left without shelter.
City officials say Ottawa's homeless strategy is adjusting to the outbreaks in colder weather, and can expand the city's capacity to provide emergency shelter to Ottawa's homeless population.
“We use hotels, we've got rooms in the universities, we've got rooms in some of our community centres,” says Donna Gray, the City of Ottawa's manager of community and social services.
“If somebody needs shelter, there is shelter available at the city.”
The city has opened emergency shelter and isolation spaces in local arenas and community centres — recently opening isolation space for up to 100 men at the Ottawa Jail Hostel in Nicholas Street.
Anthony Di Monte, manager of emergency and protective services at the City of Ottawa, says anyone in urgent need of shelter can call 311 for assistance.
