10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan refresh - draft is complete
The draft refresh of the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan is making its way through the City review process before heading to Council this spring.
Key dates:
- March 13 – 10-Year Plan is made public
- March 24 – Joint Planning and Housing & Community Services Committee meeting
- April 8 – Council
Once the Plan is made public, HHLT members will be reaching out to each sector to share details in the lead up to the Committee and Council meetings. More details will be coming soon!
Winter Warming: Coordinating a Community Response
This winter has been really hard, with deep freezing temperatures and lots of snow. For people who are unsheltered, having access to warm, safe indoor spaces is critical to reducing harm during cold weather.
Over several months the HHLT has discussed the winter warming strategies already in place and new measures being implemented this year. These discussions have helped identify gaps and barriers, improve coordination and communication, and increase responsiveness so that Ottawa’s winter response benefits from the breadth and diversity of experience across the sectors at the Table. Working together, the City and community agencies have been able to implement a few new ideas quickly. This work will continue over the coming months in preparation for next winter.
The basic message everyone should know is that anyone can call 3-1-1 day or night to get referred to shelter or to get assistance for someone who needs transportation to get out of the cold.
By continuing to work together—grounded in data, informed by lived experience, and focused on collaboration—we can reduce harm during extreme cold and strengthen a more responsive, coordinated homelessness system year-round.
Community events
From Housing Crisis to Affordable Housing: Organizations Rallying Together, Strengthening Capacities and Addressing the Housing Crisis in Ottawa
The Centre for Studies on Poverty and Social Citizenship (CSPSC)
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Richcraft Hall, 2nd Floor, Room 2220
Carleton University
This symposium will bring together community organizations, housing providers, advocates, researchers, and policymakers for a collaborative and solutions-focused conversation on responding to Ottawa’s housing crisis. The event will highlight community-driven strategies, cross-sector partnerships, and opportunities to strengthen collective capacity to advance housing affordability.
Kaite Burkholder Harris, Executive Director of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, will be the symposium’s keynote speaker.
Ending Homelessness is Possible: A Discussion on Emergency Shelter Transformation
On Wednesday, January 28, the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa hosted a panel discussion on how we can prevent and end homelessness in Canada, moderated by CBC’s Catherine Cullen.
Speakers at the event included Sandra Clarkson, CEO of the Calgary Drop-In – the largest emergency shelter in North America, and Mike Lethby, the Executive Director of The Raft Youth Shelter in Niagara, Ontario, as well as Jennifer McKelvie, Parliamentary Secretary, Minister of Housing & Infrastructure.
If you missed the in-person event, you can watch the recording here.