Rooming House Photo Exhibition
- lcheshire
- Oct 19, 2022
- 1 min read
Please come by Ottawa City Hall to check out this photo exhibit, which profiles the need for rooming houses in Ottawa.
Where: Ottawa City Hall main floor near the piano
When: The week of Oct 17- 21st
What: Photos taken by rooming house residents showing how living in a rooming house affects their health
Why: Health care providers care about housing!
The number of rooming houses in Ottawa is in such steep decline that the housing model could soon be in danger. From 2011 to 2021 Ottawa has seen a 62% decrease in rooming house stock with only 86 rooming houses remaining.
Without rooming houses, emergency shelters would be even more crowded and there would be greater pressure on our subsidized housing wait lists.
Thanks to Joanna Binch for working in partnership with us to pull this together!
The rooming house photo exhibition highlights such an important aspect of community life. It’s powerful to see how art can bring attention to issues of housing and support those who need it most. Along with providing a safe space, it’s equally important to maintain a healthy environment. One way to do this is by using solutions to improve indoor air quality. A cleaner atmosphere can make a huge difference in any living space, especially in communal areas like rooming houses. Using an air purifier like Sensibo Elements can help create a more comfortable and healthier environment for everyone.
This exhibition really hits hard—it puts a human face on housing challenges that too often get brushed aside. Seeing those lived-in spaces made me think about how much potential is hidden behind worn-out walls. That’s part of why I chose to go with a funded renovation for my own property. The equity boost I got from improving the space didn’t just increase its value—it also made it more livable and dignified. There's something powerful about turning overlooked homes into something people can be proud of.