The Salvation Army has announced that due to rising costs, its future shelter and social services hub on Montreal Road will not proceed as planned.
In a statement to CBC, the organization indicated that the proposed Centre of Hope at 333 Montreal Rd. “will not proceed as originally conceived.”
“Since initial site plan approvals were secured several years ago, construction costs and market conditions have changed significantly,” the statement reads.
The Salvation Army mentioned that no decisions have been finalized regarding the project’s future, but there are “internal discussions” happening about next steps.
The development was initially approved in 2017 for approximately 350 shelter beds after a series of intense meetings. Following community opposition and an unsuccessful Ontario Land Tribunal appeal, the project was reduced to 211 beds in 2022.
Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stephanie Plante noted that she hasn’t received much information about the project since taking office later that year.
“I think it’s safe to say the residents of Vanier were never for this project,” she said.
“If the Salvation Army is planning to present a new project that includes housing, I think residents would be more receptive.”
Drew Dobson, the founder of SOS Vanier, is pictured here in 2017. Dobson believes if the Salvation Army shelter moves forward, it should prioritize long-term housing instead of just shelter beds. (Jennifer Chevalier/CBC)
Shelters ‘not a solution,’ says councillor
This update comes as Ottawa’s approach to addressing homelessness continues to evolve.
Last week, Shepherds of Good Hope revealed plans to eventually replace its Lowertown emergency shelter with supportive housing. Its CEO stated that longer-term housing leads to better outcomes for clients.
Plante expressed her desire for any future Salvation Army initiative on Montreal Road to follow suit.
“We recognize that shelters are not a solution,” she said.
This sentiment is shared by Drew Dobson, president of SOS Vanier-a group he established to advocate for alternative solutions to homelessness.
They opposed the original Centre of Hope proposal because they believed “housing rather than shelters” was key in solving homelessness.
Members of SOS Vanier protest outside an open house hosted by the Salvation Army in 2017 about their proposed Vanier shelter. (Amanda Pfeffer/CBC)
“We believe that shelters were warehousing of the homeless and we were very opposed to it,” said Dobson while adding he felt “heartened” by news of the project’s delay.
“Shelter beds are a thing of the past,” he stated.
If the Salvation Army revisits this project, Dobson hopes it will focus on longer-term solutions.
“We’ve got to maintain the beds that we have now,” he said. “But I think every homeless person we get in the future, we have to find them homes.”
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