Helping families on their path home as Ottawa expands family transitional housing

For hundreds of families in Ottawa, the search for stable housing has meant living in temporary shelters or hotel rooms while they look for something more permanent. 

Every night, roughly 670 families – including about 1,250 children – rely on Ottawa’s shelter system. For many, transitional housing can be the bridge between an emergency shelter and a place to call home. 

That’s why the City is expanding access to family transitional housing, including transforming a former hotel on O’Connor Street into more than 120 new family transitional housing units designed specifically to help families move forward. 

What is family transitional housing? 

Family transitional housing is an important step along the path to housing stability. Although it’s not a permanent housing solution, it does provide families with supports they need as they move from crisis toward long-term housing.

While living in transitional housing, families can access on-site services such as focused case management, help navigating housing applications, and employment and skills training. These services remove barriers and make it easier for families to move into long-term housing.

At O’Connor Street, families will stay in units equipped with their own kitchen and bathroom. The building is centrally located near public transit, schools and amenities – helping make the transition to stable housing more comfortable and dignified. 

A different approach to growing pressure

Demand for family shelter space has grown rapidly, especially in the last two years with overflow hotels becoming a temporary solution. For families, that can mean trying to prepare a meal in a single hotel room while juggling the search for something more stable. The shelter system isn’t designed for families trying to rebuild their lives over the long-term. Children shouldn’t spend extended periods growing up in the system. 

Recognizing the strain that experiences of homelessness place on children and their families, the City is shifting toward a more housing focused approach. Projects like O’Connor Street - and earlier initiatives like Corkstown Road – help to reduce reliance on overflow hotels, which yields immense cost savings and better outcomes for families and children.

Corkstown Road: a model that is already working

The City is building on the success of the Corkstown Road transitional housing project, which opened in 2024 with more than 120 units designed for families. 

Early results have shown that when families are living temporarily in transitional housing and have access to on-site supports - including youth programming and respite services for children - they are able to move more smoothly into long-term homes.  

Family transitional housing is one part of a broader solution to Ottawa’s housing challenges. Ultimately, increasing the supply of affordable housing remains a long-term solution – but transitional housing helps families take the next step toward getting there.  

What’s next? 

In April, the City will bring forward an update to Ottawa’s Family Homelessness Strategy focused on helping families move more quickly into stable, long-term housing. 

Housing is a shared responsibility and achieving long-term solutions requires strong partnership across all levels of government. The City continues to build those partnerships and deliver results for the families and children of Ottawa.

Additional resources: 

• Council Update (March 11, 2026)

Finance and Corporate Services Committee Report (March 3, 2026)