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Housing and Homelessness

Everyone deserves a place to call home.

Without a roof over your head, it’s nearly impossible to take care of your mental health, stay focused at work, or plan for the future.

It’s even harder to find affordable, stable housing for those who are new to our country, youth forced to leave home, women fleeing violence, and many others struggling to make ends meet.

With your support, United Way East Ontario advocates for safe housing for everyone. Together, we can shut the door to chronic homelessness.

Housing and Homelessness

Everyone deserves a place to call home.

Without a roof over your head, it’s nearly impossible to take care of your mental health, stay focused at work, or plan for the future.

It’s even harder to find affordable, stable housing for those who are new to our country, youth forced to leave home, women fleeing violence, and many others struggling to make ends meet.

With your support, United Way East Ontario advocates for safe housing for everyone. Together, we can shut the door to chronic homelessness.

A photo of Isaac standing in the office with his hands in his pockets.

Isaac draws strength from his personal struggles to help other youth

When he was a teenager, Isaac’s mental illness caused him to leave home.

For a time, he stayed in a young men’s shelter. It was hard, being one of the youngest people there. Isaac turned to drugs to deal with the pain of his depression. The longer he stayed in that environment, the challenges he faced escalated, and his struggles only got harder.

Support from a United Way partner helped him find a job where his experiences of homelessness and substance use aren’t a weakness, but a strength used to shape our communities’ response.

No young person chooses to be homeless.

Many factors can drive a young person to leave home: they may have had a difficult family life or have survived abuse. 2SLGBTQIA+ youth may experience discrimination for their sexuality or gender, and many young people in the child welfare system find themselves without support once they reach adulthood.  

In rural communities, youth who are homeless often keep their situation a secret from teachers and neighbours, making the issue even more invisible: they sleep in cars, or couch surf with friends. When a young person experiences homelessness, they are more likely to drop out of school, which makes it harder to get a good job and gain financial independence. Many rural youth head to the city in search of services and jobs— leaving their social networks behind and forcing them to build brand new circles of support. 

Ottawa became the first city in Canada to declare a housing emergency in 2020. Even since then, inflation, the rising cost of living, and long-term effects of the pandemic, like poor mental health and increasing rates of gender-based violence, have made housing affordability even more dire.  

2,952

people in Ottawa were experiencing homelessness as of the city’s 2024 point-in-time count 

1 in 3

homeless young people in Canada identify as 2SLGBTQIA.

44%

of Indigenous people who have faced homelessness first experienced it before the age of 18.

~60%

of youth who experience homelessness have been involved in the child welfare system.

A photo of a man cutting vegetables in his home kitchen.

How we help

United Way East Ontario works with partners across Prescott-Russell, Ottawa, Lanark County and Renfrew County to get at the root of the issue and create long-term solutions that prevent and reduce youth homelessness. This not only shuts the door to chronic homelessness—it saves lives. 

We believe in Housing First – the recognition that everyone should have a roof over their head before they can start to think about education, employment, or other paths forward. Then, we must reach each young person with personalized services that help them reach their goals.  

What impact looks like

What impact looks like

Safe, affordable housing is a human right. When we rally around the most vulnerable people in our communities, we make the quality of life better for everyone.  

Your gift to United Way East Ontario will help those facing homelessness build more stable lives. Together, with the support of donors like you, we can help young people reach their full potential.  

We take accountability seriously.

You should feel confident when supporting a charity, and we’re committed to full transparency, accountability, and cost-efficiency. We invest your gift in smart, strategic ways, to ultimately move the needle.

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100% LOCAL IMPACT
Every donation is put to work in the community where it is raised to tackle the causes you care about.

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TOP 100 CANADIAN CHARITY
Charity Intelligence, MoneySense & Maclean’s named United Way East Ontario a top-100 Canadian charity.

Learn more about United Way’s charity ratings and how your gift is managed here.

Need help?

If you or someone you know is seeking mental health help, here are some immediate resources you can use:

CALL 9-1-1
If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 9-1-1.

DISTRESS CENTRE OF OTTAWA AND REGION
24/7 access to a mental health support hub.

Visit dcottawa.on.ca
Call the Distress Line at 613-238-3311
Text 343-306-5550

211 EASTERN ONTARIO
Find community, social, government, and health services closest to you.

Visit 211ontario.ca or call 2-1-1