Master
Leasing

In January 2020, Ottawa’s City Council unanimously declared a housing and homelessness emergency. This was a shocking and galvanizing moment for our city, and HousingWorks intends to address this crisis head-on.

HousingWorks plans to expand the supply of affordable housing for vulnerable and at-risk youth and youth experiencing homelessness in Ottawa through Master Leasing.

Master Leasing is an alternative form of leasing. The landlord or property owner will enter into a commercial lease with HousingWorks Ottawa, with the understanding that Operation Come Home clients will occupy the unit. 

Master leasing bridges the gap between landlords and OCH clients. OCH clients sign an occupancy agreement, not a lease. HousingWorks is the tenant and pays rent to the landlord every month.

To qualify, clients must be eligible to participate in City of Ottawa-funded programs intended to support housing stabilization.

Have questions? Check out our FAQ.

How it works

HousingWorks uses master leasing to bridge the gap between landlords and OCH clients. Here’s how it works:

Five steps with illustrations of houses and apartment buildings beside each number and text explaining the process beside each one.

If you’re interested in learning more about Master Leasing, you can listen to our segment on Ottawa Morning with Robyn Bresnahan here.

Our master leasing flyer is available in multiple languages! Download it in French, Arabic, and Mandarin.

Ready to learn more? Let’s connect.