Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has committed to eradicating youth homelessness in the city within the next five years. During a recent announcement, Sutcliffe emphasized the importance of providing immediate support and assistance to young individuals who find themselves in shelters, aiming to help them secure safe and stable housing.
While specific strategies to achieve this goal were not outlined in the announcement, Sutcliffe mentioned that the upcoming 2026 budget will include investments towards addressing youth homelessness. He highlighted the correlation between youth homelessness and chronic adult homelessness, with half of chronically homeless adults having experienced homelessness before the age of 16.
Currently, there are an estimated 50 to 100 homeless youths in Ottawa. Sutcliffe aims to establish a system that diverts young individuals from the shelter system, a goal deemed achievable by Kaite Burkholder Harris, the executive director of the Alliance to End Homelessness. Harris emphasized the importance of ensuring that homelessness is rare, brief, and does not recur to prevent people from becoming trapped in the cycle of homelessness.
Sutcliffe’s plan does not rely on funding from other levels of government. He also announced his participation as a judge in a “hackathon” event at the University of Ottawa, where students and community partners will collaborate to design solutions for preventing youth homelessness.
Ali Campbell, a vice-president at the Shepherds of Good Hope homeless shelter, expressed support for the mayor’s initiative, acknowledging the interconnectedness between youth and adult homelessness. Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante echoed the importance of investing in prevention and ensuring that individuals spend minimal time in shelters, emphasizing the need for immediate intervention when individuals enter the shelter system.
