A former hotel in downtown Ottawa will open as a new transitional housing complex this fall. The City of Ottawa purchased the property at 377 O’Connor Street for $45 million, with investments from all three levels of government to provide housing for families experiencing homelessness. “This is a game changer for the families who are experiencing homelessness,” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe told CTV News Ottawa. “These temporary accommodations will be much more suitable for them as we continue to work with them to find permanent housing.” According to the city, there are around 125 rooms in the hotel that can accommodate approximately 125 families. “We’re also going to have the opportunity to combine some of those rooms for large families or use them individually,” says Kale Brown, director of Housing and Homelessness Services for the City of Ottawa. Brown says the total cost was about $50 million dollars. “Significant portion was funded through immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada,” Brown said. This transitional housing is for someone who needs temporary support and accommodation to find long-term housing, says Brown. “So, this is really for newcomer families, families in Ottawa who may have been destabilized, and, really, what we’re looking for is anybody who needs those supports, additional housing stability supports or wraparound supports to find housing and get into the community and integrate across Ottawa.” He says a typical length of stay is between six months and one year. “And a lot of that depends on family size. It’s a lot more challenging to move large families because you need to find larger units,” Brown said. Rooms are apartment-style, with a kitchen and bathroom. There is also laundry on-site and other spaces for families to use. Minor construction to the hotel Brown adds there was minor construction required to the property. The lobby is being renovated as a Welcome Centre, and some holes are being cut between rooms to allow them to be used as adjoining units if needed. “So, this was really an ideal site, very, very minor construction,” Brown said. “It’s incredible how much of an opportunity this was,” adds Sutcliffe. Brown says the opening is slated for around October.
