To buy or not to buy: Young Canadians face tough choices on home ownership
Today, many factors determine a young person’s likelihood of purchasing a house in the future. They’re facing more difficulties in being able to afford a down payment, resulting in fewer young people thinking they will one day become homeowners.
The student dilemma: Pay more and live close to campus or pay less and commute
As rents continue to climb in Ottawa, many students are struggling to find a compromise between living close to school and finding a unit that's affordable. But with so many students competing for rentals, that balancing act is getting harder.
Ottawa’s 10-Year Housing and Homelessness goals seem further out of reach than ever
Ottawa's 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan is facing some serious headwinds and is a reminder of the limits of what a municipality can do on its own to deal with a deepening crisis.
Tents on the agenda: City of Ottawa eyeing temporary ways to shelter those in need this winter
As rents rise and homelessness grows, the City of Ottawa is looking for ways to provide temporary shelter for those in need.
High-rise housing in limbo over concerns about casting shade on Experimental Farm
A proposed high-rise housing development at the corner of Baseline Road and Fisher Avenue will remain in limbo until city staff can determine the impact of the shadows the towers will cast on the nearby Experimental Farm.
City builder: From India to Ottawa, Bill Malhotra has created one of city’s largest development companies
In a series of short profiles, Capital Current introduces some of the people working hard to improve life in Ottawa. Who is he? Bill Malhotra is the founder and CEO of one of the largest real estate developers in Ottawa, Claridge Homes, which he started in 1986. What’s his background? Malhotra was born in India, and studied civil engineering at...
Ottawa’s emergency shelter task force is only a “band-aid,” says shelter CEO
The task force's first move was to shut down the Heron Road Community Centre for five months and turn it into an emergency shelter.
Ottawa Community Lands Development Corp. aims to rebrand, focus on affordable housing
The City of Ottawa’s Housing and Planning Committee has approved a report to allow Ottawa Community Lands Development Corporation to change its name to Build Ottawa.
Self-storage business booms in Ottawa and small condos may be a factor
Storage unit employees in Canada’s capital region say they have seen a 'huge demand' for self-storage rental units from residents.
Aiming to make more housing affordable in Ottawa, land trust buys its first property
An Ottawa non-profit with the stated goal of keeping housing affordable forever has acquired its first rental property on Kirkwood Avenue in Carlington.
Advocates urge Ottawa to adopt a tenant defence fund to help those facing eviction
Activists urge a city committee to consider a legal defence fund for tenants facing high rent increases or eviction.
City council to consider expanding emergency shelters more widely across Ottawa
Community Services Committee proposes more emergency shelters to reduce the current overflow and to help make them more accessible across multiple wards.
Proposed cap on numbers won’t solve housing crisis, say international students
International students say any cap on their numbers won't solve the housing crisis and will hurt Canadian universities dependent on their tuition fees.
Affordable housing cash in Lansdowne renewal plan reduced; move raises concerns, questions about city’s commitment
The latest Lansdowne revitalization proposal released two weeks ago promised even less of a commitment to affordable housing than the original proposal, earmarking just $3.9 million to the city’s affordable housing budget.
Ending the blame game: ByWard Market’s homelessness crisis frustrates those calling for new solutions
Homelessness in Ottawa’s ByWard Market is an integral problem in the city, one that has been around for decades but has worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic. People are tired: business owners, community members, and the people experiencing homelessness themselves.
Latest Lansdowne 2.0 proposal gets angry reception over rising costs, lack of affordable housing
More than 300 Ottawa residents voiced their concerns and outrage over a new redevelopment proposal at the “Let’s Talk Lansdowne” event held in Lansdowne’s Horticulture Building last Wednesday.
Council approves Orléans development after uproar over parking, traffic concerns
The proposal for a controversial housing development in Orléans has been approved by city council after a wave of opposition from local residents, two contentious committee meetings and last-minute changes to the plan. The housing project at 360 Kennedy Lane East would provide 81 rental units within a mix of three-storey townhouse units and three-storey walk-up apartments, many of which...
The 23rd Ottawa Indigenous Children and Youth Pow Wow welcomes everyone back to celebrate First Nations culture
The annual Ottawa Indigenous Children and Youth Pow Wow is back after a three-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Event organizers stress the importance of fostering community between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
University students in Ottawa already feeling pressure to find affordable housing for the fall
Students face rising rents in Ottawa.
Soaring rent prices in Ottawa squeezing post-secondary students
With rents soaring in Ottawa, post-secondary students are under financial pressure and need more help.
Intense frustration: Heron Park community concerned about growing garbage, pests and parking problems
Heron Park community concerned about growing densification and the concerns that it creates such as garbage, pests and parking.
Committee approves apartment expansion despite outrage in Sandy Hill
Despite strong opposition from Sandy Hill residents, the City of Ottawa’s planning and housing committee has approved a zoning bylaw amendment allowing a developer to more than double the number of units in an existing apartment building. The approval, which critics say will further inflate the population of temporary, transient tenants in the area, will be considered for approval by...
Panelist slams Ontario’s Bill 23 as ‘Christmas wish list for developers’
Critics say Ontario's More Homes Built Faster Act won't ease the affordable housing crisis and will cause serious problems for the environment, for city budgets and for taxpayers.
Ottawa volunteers open their own doors as respite centres for the homeless
As winter settles in, two organizations in Ottawa are working hard to help those without a home. Some individuals are even offering their own homes as respite centres.
Paving paradise in Centretown: Protesters oppose plan to tear down small affordable apartment building
Tenants at 142 Nepean St. protested a plan by developers to tear down their building and put up a parking lot.
Federal government invests extra $1.1 billion into national homelessness strategy
Housing Minister Ahmed Hussen announced the federal government will invest more into its homelessness strategy.
Developer intends to preserve landmark Registry Office in high-rise residential extension to Rideau Centre
The historic Registry Office would be moved and integrated into a new high-rise development that will be part of the redevelopment of the Rideau Centre.
Citing tenants’ rights and low-cost housing crisis, ACORN appeals city approval of Herongate redevelopment
ACORN is appealing Ottawa city council's approval of redevelopment in Herongate Village.
Fight against ‘anti-homeless architecture’ part of struggle to combat Ottawa’s affordable housing crisis
The battle against anti-homeless urban architecture has been joined in Centretown led by Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney.
Rising costs, slow pace of affordable housing development paint a dire picture in Ottawa
Ottawa's housing crisis continues to escalate as housing prices rise and the impacts of COVID-19 cause dangerous lasting effects on residents.
Compromise emerges in Rideau Street ‘demoviction’ battle, but tenants still lament lost housing
A compromise is on the table to help ease the impact open tenants in affordable housing units on Rideau Street.
Project in Old Ottawa South piloting a way to retrofit and improve comfort in older homes
A pilot project in Old Ottawa South is aiming to provide the information homeowners need to properly retrofit their century-old homes.
Students struggle to find an affordable place to live as costs of accommodation soar
As rent prices in Ottawa soar, students are left with few options but to pay the hefty costs of life in the capital of Canada.
Liberals’ rent-to-own policy proposal ‘nibbling at edge’ of housing affordability problem: expert
The rent-to-own program proposed by the Liberals may not be enough to make housing more affordable for Ottawa residents.
Ottawa struggling to cope with increase in homeless population during pandemic, say city officials
Community members and advocates are calling for more resources in the ByWard and Lowertown regions after a rise in homelessness raised concerns about safety.
Innovative Indigenous-led housing project set to rise beside Vancouver’s Burrard Street Bridge
Known as Senakw, the 12-tower housing development will mark a major milestone for Indigenous urban planning in North America.
Election 2021: Federal role in providing affordable housing and ending homelessness a key election issue, advocates say
Regardless of which party wins the election, the next federal government needs to address housing and homelessness issues in Canada.
Pushing the boundaries: City planners need to consider how to make the suburbs sustainable, experts say
Responding to the demand in population growth, cities are expanding outwardly, often at the cost of higher carbon emissions and a loss of biodiversity.
Baked in: Extreme heat waves pose life-threatening risks for homeless, experts say
As the climate warms, longer, hotter heat waves are becoming the norm even in Canada. For the homeless this poses serious risk, experts say
Council delays decision on size limits for secondary dwellings
City council has delayed a decision of limiting the size of secondary rental units to take into account concerns expressed by small landlords.
Ontario breaks ground on new $55 million LTC home in North Bay
Ontario government officials gathered in the empty lot of what used to be the old St. Joseph’s McLaren Hospital site overlooking downtown North Bay to break ground on one of the province’s newly announced long-term care projects. “We are going to build the nicest long-term care home this town has ever seen,” said Premier Doug Ford. Water’s Edge Care Community,...
Planning committee approves zoning change to allow eight-storey Lowertown supportive housing building for Indigenous people and women in need
The city's planning committee has approved a zoning change to allow the construction of an eight storey building at 216 Murray St. to offer housing to Indigenous people and women in Lowertown.
Cornerstone Housing for Women finds temporary relief after eviction from uOttawa
Cornerstone House for Women gets a temporary solution to their lack of a permanent space e for the people they serve.
Cornerstone site uncertainty sheds light on pandemic effect on shelters
Cornerstone Housing for Women’s urgent need to find a new site highlights the lack of security and safety vulnerable women and gender diverse people are facing amid the pandemic.
Building blocks: B.C. city takes aim at homelessness with two temporary modular housing projects
The City of Richmond is acting on the idea of temporary modular housing as a rapid response to a growing homelessness crisis.
Urban and rural real estate prices soar as COVID shrinks supply and work moves online
“The Canadian dream is still there,” says Pauline Aunger. The Canadian dream to which the Rideau Lakes-area real estate agent is referring is that of owning a cottage — a woodsy, lakeside getaway from the stresses of urban living. But it’s a dream that may be harder to realize this year for many Ottawa-area cottage-seekers, with Royal LePage predicting an...
A 15-minute neighbourhood initiative no walk in the park for Alta Vista community because of intensification concerns
Talks about how to transform Alta Vista into a “15-minute neighbourhood” have begun among local residents, but efforts to make the community more walkable have been overshadowed by concerns about looming intensification plans that are also part of the vision.
ACORN Ottawa pushes NCC for more affordable housing at LeBreton Flats
Members of ACORN-Ottawa, a group that advocates for affordable housing and social justice, protested outside the Elgin Street headquarters....
Ottawa takes steps to address the housing and homelessness crisis with 10-year work plan
City of Ottawa is taking steps to address the housing and homelessness crisis with new land purchase and updates to 10 year work plan.
Giving shelter: Nisa Homes opens a haven for women escaping domestic abuse in Ottawa
Nisa Homes is a transitional Muslim women’s shelter for women facing violence, domestic abuse, poverty, or homelessness or seeking asylum. The charitable organization already has six homes across Canada – three in Ontario and three in B.C. and Alberta – making Ottawa the seventh site for Nisa’s services.