A new homeless shelter is in the works in Ottawa. One of our top stories of 2022 started with the PADS organization asking for a special use permit to build a new shelter on E. McKinley Rd. South side residents showed up at City Hall objecting to it being near their homes, the baseball field, and retirement homes.
Project supporter Katherine Leipold asked the opponents to reflect on why they think a shelter would invite danger. Chris Burns said his only problem is that the shelter couldn’t help more people.
Chairman Brent Barron was the only Plan Commission member supporting the special use permit at the January meeting. He said the people who are homeless need help.
PADS ended up with a deal to build a new shelter where its current one is on Canal St. Deed restrictions that made it impossible have been eliminated. A construction timeline hasn’t been announced.
Most of the people at the Ottawa Plan Commission meeting in January 2022 were against a new PADS homeless shelter being built on E. McKinley Rd.