Youth homelessness
Ending Youth Homelessness by 2030: Ottawa’s Ambitious Path Forward
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has pledged to eliminate youth homelessness by 2030 — a bold and compassionate goal rooted in prevention, early intervention, and diversion. This vision aligns with Canada’s national housing strategy and aims to ensure that no young person in Ottawa is left without a safe, stable place to call home. The Change Coalition is advocating for homeless youth and giving them a platform to share their voice.
“The Change Coalition amplifies the voices of youth experiencing homelessness, providing a platform for advocacy and empowerment.” -Marcel Allen, CEO
Why the goal is ambitious
While the commitment to end youth homelessness represents hope and progress, the road ahead is complex. According to recent national reports, including Canada’s Youth Homelessness: Prevention and Intervention Report (2024), as many as 12% of those experiencing homelessness in Canada are youth aged 13–24. In Ottawa alone, that translates to roughly 350 young people on any given night — and many more who remain hidden from traditional counts.
The most significant challenge? Invisible disorders — conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, PTSD, and substance use disorders — that often go unseen but have a powerful impact on housing stability and access to services.
Understanding Invisible Barriers
Many youth experiencing homelessness are coping with invisible disorders that affect how they navigate education, employment, and relationships. These challenges often begin long before homelessness occurs, and without early intervention, can spiral into cycles of housing loss, unemployment, and isolation.
Invisible disorders contribute to homelessness by:
- Affecting school participation, leading to disengagement or expulsion.
- Reducing access to employment, due to cognitive or emotional barriers.
- Creating tension at home, resulting in family breakdowns or unsafe environments.
- Increasing vulnerability to exploitation and substance use while on the streets.
Traditional systems — emergency shelters, short-term housing programs, or income support — are often not equipped to address the complexity of these invisible struggles. This makes Mayor Sutcliffe’s goal ambitious: it requires not only housing creation but also a deep transformation of how support is delivered.
A Realistic Path to 2030
To make this goal achievable, Ottawa will need a comprehensive, multi-phase plan focused on prevention, rapid response, and sustained support:
1. Prevention and Early Intervention (2025–2026)
- Strengthen school-based supports and counselling for at-risk youth.
- Introduce family mediation and rent assistance to prevent youth from entering shelters.
- Establish a 24/7 Youth Diversion Hotline connecting youth to immediate support.
2. Rapid Re-Housing and Diversion (2026–2028)
- Expand Rapid Re-Housing programs that provide short-term rent top-ups and case management.
- Build a network of youth-specific transitional housing with integrated mental health and addiction supports.
- Train staff in trauma-informed and neurodiversity-aware care, ensuring services meet the needs of those with invisible disorders.
3. Permanent Supportive Housing (2027–2030)
- Construct or acquire 300–400 affordable youth units in Ottawa, combining supportive and transitional housing.
- Embed on-site mental health, substance-use, and cognitive supports into housing services.
- Create a sustainable operating fund of approximately $15–25 million annually to ensure long-term service delivery.
💡 The Investment Needed
A realistic implementation plan would require:
- Capital investment: $60–160 million to create 300–400 supportive or transitional housing units.
- Annual operating costs: $13–25 million for staffing, mental health support, and prevention programs.
- Partnership funding: Shared contributions from federal, provincial, and municipal governments, along with non-profit and community partners.
These investments are not just costs — they’re savings in the long term. Studies consistently show that every dollar spent on prevention and supportive housing reduces future costs in emergency care, policing, and correctional services.
why it matters
Join Change Coalition in Changing Lives
Homelessness among youth is more than a housing issue — it’s a public health and social equity issue. Youth with invisible disorders often fall through the cracks because their challenges are not immediately visible. By focusing on early intervention, inclusive housing, and mental health integration, Ottawa has the opportunity to become a national leader in ending youth homelessness through compassion and innovation.
The Change Coalition supports this vision by raising awareness of the invisible barriers that prevent young people from accessing safe housing. We believe that by acknowledging these hidden struggles and designing programs that address them directly, we can help Ottawa achieve its 2030 goal — and build a future where every youth has a place to belong.
For a review of the Change Coalition perspective, read the links below.
🔗 Learn More:
- View the full national report: Youth Homelessness 2024 – Government of Canada
