Shepherds of Good Hope, which helps people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa, is planning to convert its shelter in Ottawa’s ByWard Market into longer-term housing.

Shepherds of Good Hope is one of the main groups in Ottawa devoted to helping people experiencing homelessness. The group is planning to convert the second and third floors of its Lowertown building into bachelor units while revamping the first floor to provide on-site medical and social services. The group feels that a health and supportive housing facility would better serve its clients.

The not-for-profit currently runs the largest emergency shelter in Ottawa, with up to 270 people sleeping at its King Edward Avenue facility on its busiest nights. This shelter system was designed to provide short-term help, but many people staying there face barriers to finding stable housing and may remain there for years.

According to CEO Stephen Bartolo, the conversion from shelter to supportive housing marks the start of a citywide shift, and the group wants to be a leader in this transition from shelters to supportive housing. The group intends to engage with architects, engineers, partner agencies, and people with lived experience in the coming year.

Source: Matthew Kupfer, CBC