FAQ
Questions
OW $733 frozen since 2018. ODSP $1,436. The numbers are the indictment.
Is this official City or provincial software?
No. It is an advocacy simulator. It will not file your application. It models why the application is designed to take months before it is even a file number.
What does unsheltered mean here?
Tent, doorway, pathway, encampment. Ottawa counted 561 people unsheltered in the 2025 Point-in-Time count. 3-1-1 can try for a bunk. By-law can dismantle the site. ID is not stored.
Is a shelter “housed”?
No. A mat at Shepherds, the Mission, the Booth Centre, Cornerstone, YSB, or a motel is emergency management. Coordinated Access can see you. You still do not have a lease. Eight to a room is not a bedroom.
Where did supervised consumption go?
The Trailer at Shepherds closed 12 June 2026. Oasis / Sandy Hill the next day. The province pointed to HART Hubs. Supplies, OAT, and RAAM remain. Supervision does not.
How is mental health modelled?
Mood, medication, AccessMHA waits, CMHA intensive case management, Psychiatric Outreach, ER boarding. Hospital is a clinical event. This tool does not depict self-harm. Real help: AccessMHA, CMHA Ottawa, The Royal, crisis line below.
Why is my cheque smaller because I am unhoused?
Ontario does not pay the shelter portion of OW or ODSP unless you already have a physical home. OW shelter max $390; ODSP $611. Without a lease you receive basic needs only.
What are the real transit prices?
OC Transpo 2026: cash $4.15, card $4.10, DayPass $12.25, adult monthly $138.50, EquiPass $58.25, Community (ODSP) $43.25.
Can a single person rent a one-bedroom on benefits?
ODSP max $1,436 + CDB $204.20 = $1,640.20. Asking 1-bed ~$1,900+. You need a roommate and/or a subsidy.
Wallet stolen. What first?
Birth certificate (waiver if homeless via an agency) → SIN (free, Service Canada) → OHIP → photo ID. Then OW/ODSP/Registry. Skipping the stack produces “come back with documents.”
I am on a cousin’s couch. Why am I not “homeless”?
Ottawa’s 2026 local RGI rules: homelessness priority is for people in a City-funded shelter or transitional program, or living unsheltered. Staying with friends or family does not qualify.
How do I “win”?
An RGI lease in your name, a private lease made livable by a portable benefit, or a Housing First / supportive placement with a lease. Opt-in supports either way.
I need actual help in Ottawa.
This is not a service. Housing or income: 2-1-1, City 3-1-1, or 9-1-1 in an emergency. Mental health crisis line: 613-722-6914. AccessMHA.ca for intake. Shelter intake and community health centres (Centretown, Somerset, Oasis, Wabano) are real doors.