Committee receives audit of supportive housing services and reviews planned improvements

The City of Ottawa’s Audit Committee met today to receive an audit report on its supportive housing services. The committee also reviewed and discussed the City’s plans to address the audit's recommendations and implement improvements to the system.  The report by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) examined supportive housing – long-term housing that integrates on-site supports tailored to the individual, often complex, needs of residents.  This form of housing is a critical component of the City’s strategy to offer a range of housing solutions and help reduce chronic homelessness, particularly as residents often face complex health and social challenges.  The audit noted that there is meaningful work happening at the City and among community-based service providers to find innovative solutions and support clients in need of supportive housing.  The audit presents four recommendations aimed at addressing identified gaps and improving the delivery of supportive housing in Ottawa: 

• Define the City’s overall approach to supportive housing and expected outcomes in the updated 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. 

• Create an integrated and collaborative workplan to more effectively guide supportive housing operations, new development, and the allocation of funding. 

• Establish clear, consistent standards for supportive housing processes to ensure all residents receive high-quality care and to address potential inequities in accessing these services. 

• Use insights from annual program reviews to formally assess progress towards supportive housing outcomes. 

City management agreed with each of the OAG’s four recommendations. The City’s implementation of these recommendations will address the areas for improvement identified in the audit report. Initial work to address the recommendations will start immediately with key deliverables anticipated over the next two years.  The OAG report also provides important context on factors influencing supportive housing delivery. These include the complexities of multi-level government funding structures, and the critical need for strong coordination between housing services and provincially managed health supports, especially for individuals with high needs.  Delivering supportive housing relies on close collaboration among multiple partners. The City distributes funding from municipal, provincial, and federal sources to service providers for the construction and operation of this housing.  Alongside efforts to address the audit’s recommendations, the City will also continue to work closely with the provincial and federal governments to advocate for and help secure adequate and sustainable funding for both the capital and operating costs of supportive housing in our community.