The City of Ottawa says nearly 100 of the 503 units recently acquired by Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) will be prioritized for families experiencing homelessness. OCH announced in September it had purchased a large block of homes and two apartment buildings on Craig Henry Drive and Greynam Court from Minto for $159.2 million. The acquisition included 12 one-bedroom, 122 two-bedroom, 329 three-bedroom and 40 four-bedroom homes. Current tenants will be able to remain in their homes under the deal. In a memo sent to city councillors and the mayor on Thursday, general manager of Strategic Initiatives Debbie Stewart said the City of Ottawa pitched in $6 million toward the acquisition from the city’s Housing Accelerator Fund. “As a condition of the City’s contribution, all 503 units must achieve average market rent (AMR), as defined by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), within approximately five years and remain affordable for at least 20 years,” Stewart said. “Where current rents are above AMR, rents are expected to reach AMR naturally over the approximate five-year period.” The memo says 98 units will be prioritized for families experiencing homelessness under the City’s Family Homelessness Strategy. Council approved the Family Homelessness Strategy in May, which requires housing providers entering into new City funding agreements to prioritize 20 per cent of their family-sized units—meaning two or more bedrooms—for families experiencing homelessness. “Existing vacancies could provide up to 20 homes for eligible families, then with units that become available through natural turnover,” Stewart wrote. “City staff will work with [Ottawa Community Housing Corporation] to develop and implement a service delivery model that supports families experiencing homelessness as they transition to permanent housing and maintain successful tenancies. The City will coordinate placements for eligible families with sufficient income to sustain the tenancy, which may include an offer of a housing benefit.” According to the City of Ottawa, as of March 1, 2026, there were over 660 families experiencing homelessness, including over 1,220 children. OCH says it will operate the newly acquired homes through Arriv Properties, its affordable-rental offering for low- and moderate-income households.
