Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he wants to end youth homelessness in the city by 2030.
Sutcliffe told reporters at a press conference Tuesday the details of the city’s plan will be unveiled in its upcoming budget.
“When the budget is presented, it will include investments and measures that will bring us closer to our goal,” he said.
Sutcliffe said he also plans to take part in an upcoming foot race event focused on ending homelessness, adding that “every bit of support helps raise awareness and critical funds for the 75 social service agencies that are part of the Ottawa Alliance to End Homelessness.”
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He said he will also judge a “hackathon” event organized by the University of Ottawa to come up with solutions to prevent youth homelessness.
Sutcliffe said “other strategies and funding initiatives” will be announced in the coming weeks.
The city plans to focus on prevention and diverting youth away from shelters. Sutcliffe said the city will work with organizations in the social services sector on “strategies that will make sure that fewer and fewer youth end up in a situation where they will become homeless.”
Sutcliffe would not say how much his plan will cost. The city is not asking other levels of government for help at this time.
While the number of young people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa is always changing, a recent estimate placed the figure at 50 to 100, he said.
Sutcliffe said the initiative is “not just about those who are currently homeless, but for years to come, having a system in place that means that a young person who would otherwise become homeless does not.”
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