Ottawa’s first-ever office-to-transitional-housing conversion opened today at 230 Queen Street. This beautiful space will house 140 people, primarily refugees and asylum seekers who need a safe place to land. It will be run by @cciottawa, offering on-site services, with a focus on integration and rapid re-housing. By the end of the summer, we will FINALLY be able to return community centres to recreational use, particularly in low-income communities like Vanier and Herongate. These spaces were repurposed as overflow shelters during the pandemic and have been used as such ever since. Congratulations to everyone who worked on this project, including city staff and @csvarchitects. I hope this is just the beginning of a fundamental transformation in our shelter system that brings more dignity to people who need it the most.