[homeles_ot-l] 2013 Report Card on Ending Homelessness in Ottawa

[Mike Bulthuis]

April 15, 2014 - This morning, at a packed press conference at the Sandy
Hill Community Health Centre, the Alliance to End Homelessness released its
10th annual Report Card on Ending Homelessness in Ottawa, for the period
January to December, 2013. 

 

The Report Card is now online, in html format
<http://endhomelessnessottawa.ca/annual-report-card-2013/>  and in pdf
format <http://endhomelessnessottawa.ca/resources/annual-report-card/>  (in
both English and French). Note that due to a recent migration, some browsers
have not yet been receiving the new Report Card; if these links are not
working for you, please be patient, as they should be operable by the end of
the day on all browsers / platforms. If you do continue to experience
issues, please let me know directly (a reply all is not necessary). 

 

For the third year in a row, grades awarded range from “A” to “F” --
measuring yearly change in four areas affecting homelessness in Ottawa
during 2013. It is important to note that the grades are not an assessment
of any single order of government; rather, the community’s progress as a
whole is assessed in these four target areas.

 

*	An “A” was given for the reduction in the total number of homeless
individuals and family members who stayed in an emergency shelter.
*	An “F” was awarded for the average amount of time spent in an
emergency shelter before housing is found (increasing from 2012 to 2013).
*	A “D” was given for an increase in new affordable units, with
special mention given to the City of Ottawa for rescuing 344 housing
allowances that would have been lost as provincial funding ended.
*	Another “F” was given regarding the affordability of housing,
focusing on housing affordability for those earning minimum wage or in
receipt of social assistance. 

 

In addition to the grades, the Report Card profiles a number of community
success stories, demonstrating that our community does indeed have the
knowledge on how to prevent and end homelessness, with many efforts
bolstered by the City’s annual $14M Housing and Homelessness Investment
Plan. As this is the 10th Report Card, the centerspread looks back to trends
vis-à-vis the four targets – seen over the past 10 years. Finally, the
Report Card looks ahead at what needs to be done to achieve the goals of our
City’s new 10-year plan to end long-term homelessness. 

 

Reaction to the Report Card, and a dialogue on how we can each contribute
towards ending homelessness, continues on Twitter! Use the hashtag
#endhomelessness to join in, and follow along at @ATEH_Ott 

 

Special thanks to everyone involved in assembling this year’s Report Card –
it was a true community effort. And thanks to Jackpine, a local design
studio, for their pro bono design and layout.  

 

Best, 

Mike. 

 

The Alliance to End Homelessness is an Ottawa-based non-profit, non-partisan
organization with over 40 member organizations which work together to
generate ideas and solutions that address homelessness. 

 

 

 

Mike Bulthuis

Executive Director

Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa

171 George Street, Ottawa ON K1N 5W5

613-241-1573, ext. 314

 

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