Rising Crisis: Adults with Developmental Disabilities Increasingly Homeless in Ottawa
Health officials in Ottawa are sounding the alarm as more adults with developmental disabilities find themselves with nowhere to go but the city's homeless shelters. "We were the only and last option," said Emilie Lemieux, mental health coordinator with Inner City Health, which assists Ottawa's shelter system. This troubling trend highlights severe gaps in support services for some of the community's most vulnerable members.
A Case Study in Systemic Failure
Consider the case of John, a pseudonym used for privacy reasons. John is described as having the cognitive abilities of a 10-year-old in the body of a 21-year-old. He lives with a developmental disability, a serious psychiatric illness, and highly disruptive behavioral issues. Recently, he began using drugs and relies on a wheelchair due to a physical disability.
John's family faces their own struggles and cannot provide care. He previously lived independently in an apartment with supports, but disruptive behaviors—including urinating and defecating in the home—led to eviction. This began a cycle of emergency department visits, hospital stays, and police contacts.
Eventually, John's case reached a city "solutions table" comprising representatives from developmental services organizations, Inner City Health, police, and others focused on complex, high-risk cases. The group turned to Inner City Health for a temporary housing solution.
Shelters as Last Resort
Inner City Health initially resisted. Adult shelters are not safe spaces for individuals like John, they explained. While they operate a special 30-bed medical care unit at the Salvation Army men's hostel in the ByWard Market, it's designed for short-term stays—typically limited to three months—for homeless individuals needing medical attention.
"Nobody would accept him," Lemieux stated. "We were the only and last option." Reluctantly, officials agreed to place John in their special care unit, where he has now lived for nearly a year—far beyond the intended duration.
Broader Systemic Issues
John's situation is not isolated. Officials report seeing increasing numbers of adults with developmental disabilities in Ottawa's shelter system, suggesting this represents just a small window into a larger problem. Developmental disabilities include various disorders caused by cognitive and physical limitations detected before adulthood, often persisting throughout life.
Heads of Ottawa agencies recently raised alarms about insufficient capacity and lengthy waiting lists for group homes and supportive housing programs. More than 30 years of chronic underinvestment have left thousands of adults with developmental disabilities and their families waiting for supports—part of over 53,000 on provincial waiting lists.
Twelve Ottawa agencies have released a statement calling for long-term investments to address these critical gaps. Without systemic changes, shelters will continue serving as inadequate last resorts for vulnerable individuals who deserve proper care and stability.
