Ottawa mayoral candidate Neil Saravanamuttoo unveiled his plans to address public safety and homelessness in Ottawa on Wednesday. If elected this October, Saravanamuttoo says he would create low-cost tiny homes to act as transitional housing, order a review of police spending and expand Ottawa’s crisis response program. “My plan to improve public safety in Ottawa begins with how we address homelessness. It then turns to how we improve policing and emergency response, and how we build stronger communities and businesses that are more resilient to crime,” he said. The mayoral hopeful says he would build a set of low-cost tiny homes using shipping containers to serve as transitional housing. The proposal would follow the model laid out by Gatineau’s Village Transitiôn, which currently offers temporary housing for 100 individuals. Saravanamuttoo’s platform also includes commitments to bolster mobile health clinics in areas with high levels of homelessness, improve access to detox and recovery beds and deploy teams to clean up needles, garbage and biohazards in public. When it comes to policing, Saravanamuttoo says he would ask the Ottawa Police Services Board to undertake a comprehensive “value-for-money” review of the Ottawa Police Service before approving any future budget increases. “More money for policing means more taxes or less money for roads, parks, transit or other emergency services,” Saravanamuttoo’s policy reads. “Before expanding budgets, residents deserve confidence that every dollar is being spent as effectively as possible.” In addition to a conditional budget freeze for police, Saravanamuttoo says he would expand Ottawa’s Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response (ANCHOR) program, which serves as a 24/7 alternative to 9-1-1 for mental health and substance use crisis response. The ANCHOR program launched in 2024 and currently only serves the core of the city. Saravanamuttoo also says he would invest in neighbourhood watches and youth programs, and deliver a community emergency response “report card” to help identify gaps in rural communities. Coun. Jeff Leiper, who is also running for mayor, previously pledged to expand the ANCHOR program and strengthen by-law enforcement. Leiper has also promised to build 1,500 non-profit homes per year if elected. Mayoral candidate Alex Lawson is promising a “top-to-bottom” shelter operations review, done in collaboration with police, paramedics and shelter operators. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has not yet released his public safety or homelessness platforms but is expected to do so soon. Earlier this year, Sutcliffe pledged to end youth homelessness in the city by 2030.
