Ottawa mayor pledges to end youth homelessness by 2030

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has pledged to end youth homelessness in the city by 2030.

He announced the promise in a press conference Tuesday.

While the mayor did not outline any specific financial commitments, he said details will be unveiled in the city’s upcoming 2026 budget.

“Being a teenager is hard enough when you have a home to go to. It’s almost impossible when you don’t,” he said. “When the budget is presented, it will include investments and measures that will bring us closer to our goal.”

Homelessness is a growing issue for Ottawa, with nearly 3,000 people living without a permanent shelter at the time of the latest count in October 2024. A report from city staff in June suggests the homeless population in the city could increase a stark 60 per cent by 2030 without intervention.

City staff say nearly 50 per cent of chronically homeless adults first became homeless before the age of 16.

“The reasons that lead young people to live on the streets are often complex,” Mayor Sutcliffe said. “They may be escaping a difficult, potentially violent situation at home.”

“No matter the reason, it is our goal to make sure that any young person who ends up in a shelter has the immediate support and assistance they need to find a safe and stable home.”

While the number of youth experiencing homelessness is constantly changing, he said the current estimate sits between 50 and 100 youths.

The Mayor said he will be taking part in the Race to End Homelessness happening on Oct. 4.

The 10 km, 5 km and 1 km event is being held by the Alliance to End Homelessness, a consortium of over 75 agencies working to end homelessness in the city.

“Ending youth homelessness is absolutely possible. Preventing youth homelessness before it starts gets us much closer to ending homelessness altogether,” Katie Burkholder Harris, executive director of the Alliance to End Homelessness, said in a press release. “This won’t be easy, but it’s critical to stop the cycle of young people getting stuck in homelessness and disconnected from their communities.”

Mayor Sutcliffe says he will also be standing in as a judge at the University of Ottawa’s hackathon this fall which brings together students, faculties, community partners and experts to co-design solutions to prevent youth homelessness.

“Together, we can ensure that every single young person in Ottawa has a safe and stable home,” Mayor Sutcliffe said. “The goal is ambitious. But the need is urgent. And I believe the solution is achievable.”