Apartment buildings in Ottawa with the parliament buildings behind them at dusk

HousingWorks

Creating safe and stable housing partnerships

Illustration of three keys on a keyring in dark blue and white
Illustration of house with a hear in front of it in dark blue and white
Illustration of apartment building in dark blue and white

Who is HousingWorks?

HousingWorks is a social enterprise proudly powered by Operation Come Home. We help landlords find great tenants and clients find great homes.

For over 50 years, Operation Come Home (OCH) has been working to support Ottawa youth experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness. We achieve this through a range of services, including educational support, employment and career programs, and housing assistance.

What do we do?

In January 2020, Ottawa’s City Council unanimously declared a housing and homelessness emergency. This was a shocking and galvanizing moment for our city, and HousingWorks intends to address this crisis head-on.

HousingWorks applies Housing First principles to ensure social inclusion and community integration of our clients. We plan to expand the supply of affordable housing for vulnerable and at-risk youth and youth experiencing homelessness in Ottawa through Master Leasing.

What is Master Leasing?

Master leasing bridges the gap between landlords and OCH clients. Here’s how it works:

Five steps with illustrations of houses and apartment buildings beside each number and text explaining the process beside each one.

What are the outcomes?

Within the first year of being housed with HousingWorks, 7 separate occupants have:

  • Resumed attending secondary school with the goal of graduating

  • Applied for and have been accepted into post-secondary programs

  • Independently requested and began accessing supports for harm reduction and mental health.

These actions, among others, can minimize a client’s likelihood of re-entering homelessness or housing precarity, involvement in the justice system, or long-term use of social support.

When our clients succeed, we all benefit.

“I would encourage landlords to actually go for a program like this. We have direct contact with the Agency and it really makes life much easier.”

-Ted Guillaume (participating landlord)

Ready to learn more? Let’s connect.