Council to discuss closing temporary shelters opened during pandemic

Time is running out for temporary emergency shelters that opened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Ottawa's emergency shelters became too crowded to adhere to safe social distancing rules during the pandemic, the city opened Physical Distancing Centres (PDCs) in a number of recreation centres to offset some of the pressure. 

Now, Ottawa city council is set to discuss a motion to transition away from PDCs later this year and find a more permanent solution.

“The motion that's coming forward is to look at more long-term solutions because this is really an unstable way to house people,” Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante told the Wake Up with Rob Snow show on Monday, March 6. 

Plante said the motion, being put forward by herself, Alta-Vista Coun. Marty Carr and Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King, asks the city to look at housing solutions that don't involve disrupting rec programing and that are more long-term. 

“We want people to have a roof over their heads and the keys in their hands,” she said. “We know that's the best mental health solution to our housing crisis and we want to make sure that we are using the best practices when it comes to housing people.”

Also speaking on the show, Stittsville Coun. Glen Gower said he agrees that using recreation centres for housing purposes isn't ideal in terms of a long-term solution.

“It maybe made sense in an emergency, but it's not something that can keep going on month after month and year after year,” Gower said. “We need a permanent place where people can live.”

The motions being put forward Wednesday outlines the following options to transition away from the temporary centres:

• Outline a strategic approach focused on providing individuals experiencing homelessness the supports needed to transition to permanent housing;
• Explore all alternative options to using recreation/community centres to provide temporary emergency housing as needed;
• Include measures to ensure that community programming can resume at Heron Road and Dempsey within one month of the transition of residents out of the centers and that ice time at Jim Durrell and Bernard-Grandmaître be reinstated for 2023-2024 skating season;
• Identify factors and considerations for choosing recreation/community centres as short-term centres opened to respond to emergencies in the housing and homelessness sector, including applying a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) lens.

It also recommends city staff regularly update council on the progress of the approved transition plan until programming in facilities being used for PDCs can be fully resumed. 

Also, in an effort to keep council members up-to-date on the housing and homelessness crisis, the motion would see staff continue to report annual to council on things including:

• The current number of families being housed in hotels and motels
• The number of families in family shelters
• The number of single youth, men and women in emergency shelters
• The cost of hotels
• The cost of emergency sheltering
• The number of singles and families who have moved from shelters to permanent housing through rent-geared to income housing or with a housing subsidy.

The motion will go before council on Wednesday, March 8.