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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-CA link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="http://www.housinganswer.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Housing-Answer-2_logo-200x1221.jpg"><u><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=196 height=118 id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CFD33A.BA6D1A70" alt="Housing Answer 2_logo 200x122"></span></u></a><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>This morning, six local housing and homelessness networks (including the Alliance) joined together in launching the <b><a href="http://www.housinganswer.ca/">Housing Answer</a></b> -- asking municipal election candidates to increase funding for the city’s ten-year Housing and Homelessness Plan, in proportion to the annual provincial upload. The full news release is below. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>The website includes a list of candidates who have already endorsed the Housing Answer; we’d like to see every candidate on that list! Be sure to engage your candidates to endorse the Housing Answer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US>You can demonstrate your support for the Housing Answer by uploading an image onto your Facebook page: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Step 1: Log onto: <a href="http://www.housinganswer.ca/share-your-belief-that-every-person-in-ottawa-needs-a-safe-place-to-call-home/">http://www.housinganswer.ca/share-your-belief-that-every-person-in-ottawa-needs-a-safe-place-to-call-home/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Step 2: Choose one of the images<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Step 3: Save to your computer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Step 4: Post the image to Facebook (just as an image, not your profile picture)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'>In so doing, in all of your friends’ Facebook feeds, they’ll see the arrows pointing at your name, indicating your support for the Housing Answer. The hope is that your friends will also share the picture and the word will spread, encouraging candidates to support the Housing Answer.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US>News Release: Vote for Housing<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span lang=EN-US>Six local housing and homelessness networks join together in asking municipal election candidates to increase funding in proportion to annual provincial upload.</span></i><span lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>September 18, 2014 — Ottawa—The Housing Answer today launched <a href="http://www.housinganswer.ca/" target="_blank">housinganswer.ca</a>, which provides a growing list of election candidates (30 to-date) who support increasing funding for the city’s Ten Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. The list indicates candidates’ support for either:<br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:39.75pt;text-indent:-21.75pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span lang=EN-US><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>a)<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span lang=EN-US>An increase of $2M each year, or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:39.75pt;text-indent:-21.75pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span lang=EN-US><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>b)<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span lang=EN-US>The Housing Answer’s proposed $2M increase in 2015, ramping up to an increase of $8M per year by 2018. The allocation would grow in proportion to the provincial upload, which increases each year by about $5M, ramping up to an additional $20M per year by 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>“Four years ago, Ottawa City Council made a new investment of $14 million each year to address homelessness and to fight poverty,” says Ray Sullivan, Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation Executive Director. “Together we’ve seen an 18% drop in homeless families using emergency shelter, 1001 new households benefitting from rent supplements and housing allowances, and 575 new affordable housing units built or approved.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>“While there have been improvements, in 2013 Ottawa households faced a wait of almost five years for affordable housing,” says Mike Bulthuis, Executive Director of the Alliance to End Homelessness. “In 2013, the average length of stay in an Ottawa shelter was 73 days. 1,542 children and youth (under 18) stayed in a shelter. The Housing Answer believes City Council can increase funding each year – in proportion to the annual provincial upload – because every Ottawa resident needs an affordable place to call home.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Learn more at housinganswer.ca and join the conversation on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/housinganswer" target="_blank">@housinganswer</a>) and Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HousingAnswer" target="_blank">facebook.com/HousingAnswer</a>).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>About Housing Answer<br>The Housing Answer is comprised of six local networks and non-profits representing organizations working daily to end homelessness: Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, Coalition of Community Health and Resource Centres of Ottawa, Co-operative Housing Association of Eastern Ontario, Eastern Ontario Landlord Organization, Ottawa Social Housing Network, and Ottawa Supportive Housing Network.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN-US>— 30 —<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Contact (English and French):<br>Heather Badenoch<br><a href="mailto:heather@villagepr.ca">heather@villagepr.ca</a><br>613-859-8232<br>@<a href="https://twitter.com/HeatherBadenoch" target="_blank">heatherbadenoch</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'>Mike Bulthuis<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'>Executive Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#76923C;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#76923C;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'>Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'>171 George Street, </span><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'>Ottawa ON K1N 5W5<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'>613-241-1573, ext. 314<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>