Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Tues. May 5th, 2026

Do you think Canada’s Capital has become unaffordable for families? The Greater Ottawa Homebuilders Association is calling attention to a concerning trend that’s emerging in our city. New data shows that more families with children are moving out of Ottawa, and into surrounding municipalities. We’re talking places like Smiths Falls, Kemptville, and Arnprior. The key concerns: Affordability and Availability. And if you want to raise a family, living in a condo isn’t necessarily ideal. Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Carolyn Whitzman, a Senior Housing Researcher at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities. She is currently based here in Ottawa. Later in the show, we pick the brain of Mike Moffatt, the Founding Director of the Missing Middle Initiative. Meantime, Ottawa City Council has received an update on their Housing Acceleration Plan, which was passed last Fall. That plan, Mayor Sutcliffe touted, would make Ottawa the friendliest city in the country. CFRA’s Andrew Pinsent has more on that. But first, we bring you up to speed on today’s top headlines.