Shepherds of Good Hope to convert to supportive housing as Ottawa moves away from the shelter model

For as long as anyone can remember, Lowertown has been bearing the brunt of some of Ottawa’s most prevalent social service issues. Discarded needles and naloxone kits litter the streets next to shopping carts, which carry the most vulnerable and personal belongings. Three shelters call the neighbourhood home, providing beds for those who have nowhere else to go. 

Currently, upwards of 270 people rest their heads at the Shepherds of Good Hope shelter on Murray Street on any given night.

Now, the organization says it wants to reimagine its emergency shelter on King Edward Avenue into a place where people are no longer warehoused in crisis, but provided long-term stability with a health-focused and supportive housing facility.

“The organization envisions building bachelor units on the second and third floors of its building,” Shepherds of Good Hope (SGH) said in a news release. “The first floor would be redesigned and purpose-built for the important medical and social services that are delivered there. It would have enhanced health supports to serve both individuals who are diverted by emergency services as well as the residents living above.”

The organization first announced the new vision at a recent meeting with the Lowertown Community Association, and the proposal is still in its early stages. 

SGH is now seeking pre-development funding to determine what is possible on the site, which includes multiple properties near King Edward Avenue and Murray Street, as well as a parking lot.