Ottawa’s homeless population has more than doubled since 2021

There are almost 3,000 people in Ottawa experiencing homelessness, according to new data released by the city.

On Oct. 23 dozens of volunteers canvassed the municipality for the Point-in-Time (PiT) count, a snapshot of the number of people living without a home. It is a national effort that helps governments and agencies understand the number of unhoused people in the community and how to better help them.

The new data states that 2,952 people are experiencing homelessness in the nation’s capital, more than double the 2021 figure, which was the last time the count happened.

“How did they end up there and how can we help? Those are questions the city continues to work through,” a press release from the municipality reads.

The count took place from 12:00 p.m. on Oct. 23 to noon the next day. The city partnered with local shelters, outreach programs and social services to make sure it was thorough and inclusive.

This year’s efforts included more collaboration with partners like outreach workers, who helped include those in encampments, and Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada, which assisted in counting those in transitional housing.

City staff also note that a detailed survey — dubbed the 2024 Survey — which ran longer this year, helped include those couch-surfing or staying in temporary or insecure housing. A press release reads that moving the survey online allowed more people to participate. It is different from the PiT Count, which does not ask detailed questions but simply counts the person, however, there are a lot of people counted who also participate in the survey.

“We wanted to make sure that we were doing things in a way that was much more person-centric for those that we wanted to survey,” Raynor Boutet, the project lead for the 2024 PiT Count, said.

A total of 2,595 surveys were collected across over a hundred locations, marking a record-high participation.

“The count is crucial to our understanding of homelessness. It provides a clearer picture of the needs of those living unsheltered and gives them a chance to be heard,” the press release reads.

Mary D’Aoust, co-chair of the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition, said partnering with agencies that are familiar with the unhoused population in Ottawa allowed more people to feel like they could speak up.

“They see their faces six days a week, so they’re very familiar with our workers, and that’s a huge segue into getting a conversation going and getting them to open up,” she said. “We’re genuine, we’re there because we care and we want to help and if they allow us, we can do that, but it’s on their terms.”

The city notes that the details of the count and the survey will be shared in the new year.  

Data confirms what organizations have reported

It will not come as a surprise that the number of people living without a home has increased.

Many local agencies have been grappling with food insecurity, housing and mental health crises for years and have been sounding the alarm for just as long.

Shelters are overflowing as the nation’s capital deals with “catastrophic” levels of food insecurity and homelessness, the Ottawa Mission’s 2024 annual impact report states. The charity says it has seen unprecedented levels of homelessness in Ottawa over the last year, a situation made worse by the increasing number of people seeking refuge.

There has been “no apparent government support” to assist with asylum seekers fleeing violent situations, the report said.

The influx of those new to Canada and seeking a home in the nation’s capital has prompted city council to find temporary shelters for them.

Two locations for semi-permanent structures will support migrants and asylum seekers. A release from the municipality states that construction will begin at the primary location of 1645 Woodroffe Ave., on the federally-owned Nepean Sportsplex property. The secondary site at 40 Hearst Way, on part of the Eagleson Park and Ride, is dependent on future funding.

“While we recognize this solution is not perfect, it is an important first step in the settlement and integration process,” the city said in a press release.