High rents and the homeless

I was reading an interesting article today that asked the question: Can helping people with their rent stave off homelessness?

Unfortunately, the answer is yes and no. It all depends on whether there are other underlying issues. Without a doubt, there are people who end up at a homeless shelter because they just couldn't find affordable housing. So yes, providing these people with some sort of rent subsidy, or just ensuring there is an adequate supply of affordable housing, would go a long way in keeping these people out of a shelter.

At Shepherds of Good Hope, we care for 1600 men and women every day. The reason they are with us is a lot more complex than their inability to pay rent. That might be one of the issues, but many come to us with mental or physical health challenges. Others suffer from serious addictions. Others have been homeless for so many years that they're not sure how to get back into their own housing even if they had the financial means to do so.

What we do know is if you can provide housing for someone, you have made the first step to addressing their other needs. Stable housing leads to stability for the person. That's what our supportive living and housing first facilities have shown over the years. And for people who might not be ready to live more independently, we have programs at the shelter to help them get to that stage.

So, no, simply providing rent subsidies does not end homelessness for everyone who is living in the shelter.

When I meet with donors or take people on tours, they're always surprised at how complex the issue of homelessness is and how Shepherds of Good Hope has created innovated programs to deal with that complexity.

If you would like a tour, please contact me at 613-789-8210, ext. 247. If you would like to make a donation to help us continue caring for Ottawa's most vulnerable men and women, please visit our donate page.