New Affordable Housing developments expected in Ottawa

(Councillor Glen Gower hosted a presentation by Saide Sayah, the Acting Director of Housing Services for the City of Ottawa, to Stittsville residents on Ottawa’s Affordable Housing.)

On March 29, Councillor Glen Gower hosted a discussion over Zoom with Saide Sayah, the Acting Director of Housing Services for the City of Ottawa to discuss the current housing crisis.

With the growing demand and shortage of houses and apartments, the cost of renting and owning has skyrocketed. Citizens are being forced to endure the rising costs of rent or search for more affordable housing elsewhere.

The Provincial government of Ontario has admitted that the cost of housing has nearly tripled in the last 10 years, but how can we combat this crisis?

As mentioned by Saide Sayah during last night’s meeting, 1,965 new housing subsidies have been constructed since 2014 to allow for more affordable housing, especially for Ottawa’s most vulnerable residents.

But even with this amazing feat, Ottawa’s homeless population still stands at approximately 60+ youth, 700-800 men, 70-100 women, and 300-400 families.

To combat this problem, $17 million will be invested into building affordable housing in Ottawa in 2022, topping the $15 million invested in both 2020 and 2021.

This investment will go towards improving existing emergency shelters and support services for those in need, constructing more affordable housing, and increasing Housing Benefits as well as Rent Supplements.

Between 2022 and 2025, 1,354 affordable housing units are expected to be completed, as well as 229 supportive housing units en route to open between 2022 and 2024.

Despite the many challenges that come with operations like these, the City of Ottawa is firmly dedicated to providing safe, accessible, and affordable housing for our community.

For more information, check out last night’s zoom meeting with Councillor Glen Gower and Director of Housing Services Saide Sayah here.

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