Ottawa’s shelter system is currently operating at, or above, capacity. With more people in need of a place to stay, there’s a new pilot program at the Shepherds of Good Hope that offers those in need of a different path alternative housing options before they enter the shelter system. “We know that once people come into the shelter, they are more likely to come back and it can be harder to get them out into permanent housing,” says Ali Campbell, VP of Programming and Communications at Shepherds of Good Hope. The ‘Diversion Pilot Program’ — in partnership with the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa and the City of Ottawa — aims to ease pressure off Ottawa’s shelter system, and focus efforts on finding people alternative housing options, instead of staying in the shelter. “Our beds are open for anybody who needs that, but the goal really is to find a safe alternative place,” says Campbell. Shepherds’ frontline staff and diversion caseworks use a set of questions to determine appropriate housing options. From there, they can determine if someone can be redirected from entering the shelter system. So far, the pilot project has achieved a 22 per cent successful diversion rate. According to Shepherds, most return to their own rental housing, many go to live with family and friends, while others are redirected to transitional or supportive housing. Up to six weeks after the pilot projects, 67 per cent of those diverted did not return to the shelter system, and 100 per cent of those diverted to supportive housing stayed housed. “We have an average stay of about 90 days for individuals who come into the shelter,” explains Campbell. “What we found through the pilot over the last six months was that for individuals who are diverted, we were able to bring that down in Shepherds to an average of 11 days.” This also helps ease the financial strain on the shelter system and open up beds for those who truly have no other place to go. “We’re looking at over $6,000 in savings by being able to divert somebody to a more appropriate form of housing rather than have them come into the shelter for 90 days,” says Campbell. With the success of the program, there are plans to expand across Ottawa’s shelter system. “There’s a lot of interest in this to see how we can work together across the city to really stop that flow into the shelter as one of the key strategies to reduce chronic homelessness in the city,” says Campbell.
