Ottawa city staff are proposing a new way to help people experiencing homelessness and addiction while also addressing community safety concerns. The proposed system, jointly governed by the city’s community and social services department and the Ottawa Police Service’s community outreach initiatives, would consolidate what are currently multiple outreach teams and centralize them under a single service provider.
The city report containing the new model said that between 2021 and 2025, a total of 725 encampments were identified in the downtown area. In 2024, there were at least 940 overdose-related emergency room visits and nearly 170 deaths.