City forges new plan to house Ottawa's homeless families

The City of Ottawa has come up with a strategy to deal with the ongoing challenge of homeless families, a problem that's seen hundreds sleeping in motels for months at a time.

As of March 2026, 664 families — including more than 1,200 children — were in the system, the strategy points out.

That’s a 76 per cent increase since 2023.

The current average stay in those temporary accommodations is about 11 months, according to a city report going before the community services committee next week.

That means the city spent nearly $30 million on hotel and motel placements in 2025 alone. For a family of four living in one room, the city spent an average about $5,800 a month.