Ottawa opens transitional housing centre in vacant downtown office space

The City of Ottawa says the transitional housing facility will have a “sleeping pod” for individuals, with a bed, a curtain for an entrance, a personal locker and a an individual reading light. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Empty office space in downtown Ottawa has been transformed into a transitional housing centre, providing temporary housing and social and skills development services for 140 adults experiencing homelessness.

The City of Ottawa unveiled its new transitional housing facility for single adults in a four-storey space on Queen Street Thursday morning, a 30,000 sq. ft. space that will be operated by CCI Ottawa.

“It’s another step toward building a city that takes care of our most vulnerable,” Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said on X.

The top three floors of the building feature a “sleep pod system” equipped with a bed, four partial-height walls, a curtain for the entrance, a personal locker, and a reading light for individuals.

According to the City of Ottawa, the building also has kitchens, dining areas, washrooms, showers, laundry facilities, lounge areas, and dedicated rooms for meetings and workshops.

“Clients will also have access to settlement and employment support, housing search case management, short-term mental health crisis workers, and weekly life skills workshops. The facility will be staffed 24/7 by CCI Ottawa personnel and on-site security,” the City of Ottawa said in a statement.

In March 2024, Council approved a 10-year lease for the vacant office building at a cost of $4.38 million, with an additional $1.48 million allocated for fit-up improvements.

A point-in-time count in Ottawa showed 2,952 people were experiencing homelessness in the capital in October. The survey showed 42 per cent of respondents were immigrants and refugees, according to the city.

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