On the night of October 23, there were 2,952 people in Ottawa experiencing homelessness, and the heart wrenching reality is this number has grown in recent years. How did they end up there and how can we help? Those are questions the City continues to work through.
To get the updated number above, staff and partner agencies conducted the Point-in-Time (PiT) Count over the24-hour period last month, along with a survey, which continued for an additional four days. The enumeration and survey included those at programs both funded and not funded by the City.
This nationally coordinated federal initiative is an important tool in the City’s efforts to better understand the causes behind homelessness. It also helps municipalities understand where resources should be focused to support those experiencing it.
For this year’s edition of the count, staff did things a little differently. There was enhanced collaboration with an increased number of partners to develop the implementation plan, which included:
-
Work with outreach workers to better understand how to engage with the people being surveyed, including those unsheltered and living in encampments
-
Collaboration with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to include clients in transitional housing
-
Review and rework of survey questions with feedback from those with lived experience
-
Moving the survey to a digital platform to make it easier for people to participate and extending the collection period to five days to reduce pressure on partners
“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.” explained Raynor Boutet, the Project Lead for the 2024 PiT Count “How could we best reach them?”.
To do that, Raynor’s team also ensured staff and partners walked routes they were already familiar with, where they had established relationships with those living unsheltered.
One of those partners is the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition (OAC). Mary D’Aoust is the Co-Chair of the OAC, and her teams have established relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals living on the streets. “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 and speak about what they need.” explained Mary.
The result, “We were seeing a much higher engagement of people that were unsheltered, on the street, completing the survey.” added Raynor.
A total of 2595 surveys were collected across 141 locations with the support of 75 community partner agencies, a record high participation for the PiT Count.
An initiative like this couldn’t happen without volunteers and, as Mary explained, they’re out there with a purpose. “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 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.
“These PiT Counts, they are so incredibly important because we need to hear the voices that are on those streets and in those encampments.” Mary said. “We desperately need to hear those voices, because they are the ones that can tell us what their truth looks like. We can’t dictate it; they have to tell us.”
The detailed results of the PiT count will be shared with the community in the new year.
The City continues to create new housing options for Ottawa residents. In 2023, there were:
-
382 Individuals with a history of chronic homelessness housed;
-
106 new affordable and supportive housing units completed, with more on the way;
-
610 new housing benefits provided to 610 low-income households.
For more information check out the 2023 Progress Report on the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.