Fourth Report Card on Ending Homelessness in Ottawa - 2007

The number of people using emergency shelters showed a small decline to 8,915 individuals, but shelter beds were filled 18,540 more times in 2007 than in 2006. This 5.7% increase – to 342,165 times that shelter beds were used – is largely a result of longer stays.

Compared to 2006, the average length of stay in an emergency shelter is up 13.9% in 2007. This reflects the difficulty of finding suitable and affordable housing in an expensive housing market.

Modest increases in minimum wage and income support were offset by an increase in rents and other living costs. Of particular concern is the rise in the number of families using emergency shelters. In 2007, 1,237 children spent time in an emergency shelter, an increase of 6.4% compared to 2006.

Overall, homelessness worsened in 2007 after some progress in 2006.

Publication Date: 
2007
Location: 
Ottawa, ON, Canada