The City of Ottawa says close to 100 of the 503 rental units recently purchased by Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) will be set aside for families experiencing homelessness, as part of conditions attached to municipal funding that helped finance the deal.
OCH announced in September that it had acquired a large block of homes and two apartment buildings on Craig Henry Drive and Greynam Court from Minto for $159.2 million. The portfolio includes 12 one-bedroom units, 122 two-bedroom units, 329 three-bedroom units and 40 four-bedroom units. Current tenants are able to remain in their homes under the terms of the acquisition.
City Funding Comes With Affordability Strings
In a memo sent to city councillors and the mayor on Thursday, Debbie Stewart, general manager of Strategic Initiatives, said the City of Ottawa contributed $6 million toward the purchase from its Housing Accelerator Fund. As a condition of that contribution, all 503 units must reach average market rent, as defined by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, within approximately five years, and must remain affordable for at least 20 years. Stewart said that where current rents already exceed average market rent, they are expected to settle at that benchmark naturally over the roughly five-year period.
Prioritizing Homeless Families
According to the memo, 98 of the units will be prioritized for families experiencing homelessness under the city’s Family Homelessness Strategy, which council approved in May. That strategy requires housing providers entering new funding agreements with the city to reserve 20 per cent of their family-sized units — defined as those with two or more bedrooms — for homeless families.
Stewart wrote that existing vacancies could provide up to 20 homes for eligible families in the near term, with additional units becoming available over time through natural turnover. City staff plan to work with Ottawa Community Housing Corporation to build a service delivery model to support families as they move into permanent housing and maintain their tenancies. The city said it will coordinate placements for eligible families with sufficient income to sustain a tenancy, which could include offering a housing benefit.
Scale of Family Homelessness in Ottawa
The City of Ottawa reported that, as of March 1, 2026, more than 660 families were experiencing homelessness, a figure that includes over 1,220 children.
Ottawa Community Housing Acquisition by the Numbers
OCH said it will manage the newly acquired properties through Arriv Properties, its affordable-rental arm aimed at low- and moderate-income households.
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