OTTAWA ABORIGINAL COALITION
A Home of my Own
The Need
Share the stories of First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals who have experienced homelessness in Ottawa.
What We Did
The OAC began a community-driven video project to learn about the experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals who have experienced homelessness in our community. As a result, a number of policy changes were made at the City of Ottawa that reduces barriers for Indigenous people accessing Housing First support and housing allowances.
The OAC acknowledges the support provided by the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres for this video project.
Project Timeline
What We Did
In 2017, the OAC began a community-driven video project to learn about the experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals who have experienced homelessness, as well as the Housing First services that support them.
4 Stories
We were gifted with the stories from four Indigenous community members who had experienced homelessness in Ottawa. At the February 2018 OAC Community Gathering, the film ‘A Home of Our Own’ was screened.
Presenting
The video was presented at the National Conference on Ending Homelessness in Hamilton in November 2018, alongside the research team from Ne-Chee Friendship Centre in Kenora.
Where We Are Now
As a result of this project a number of policy changes were made at the City of Ottawa, including housing allowance eligibility criteria and the use of the Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool. These policy changes have a positive impact on reducing barriers Indigenous people face in our community when accessing housing support.
