Richard lives in a pup tent in downtown Ottawa, next to the Bank of Canada and about a block from the temporary home of the House of Commons. He’s a thin, tough man in his sixties. Or he could be in his fifties. When you’ve worked outside for years as a roofer and then end up on the street, your face has seen a lot of sun. Carrying a heavy load of trauma and anxiety is also a great way to look older than you are.

Richard gets by on $789 a month from the Ontario Disability Support Program. That’s what everyone gets, whether they’re paying for a home or not. A few years ago, he might have been able to afford to share a small apartment, but that wouldn’t work now: Rentals.ca reported average rents in Ottawa ranged from $1,699 for a bachelor apartment to $1,892 for a one-bedroom in April 2023.

This math leaves Richard and many of the other 3,000 unsheltered people in downtown Ottawa living in pup tents. They’re all over the place. And a lot of homeless people spend cold nights lying in sleeping bags in doorways or on ventilation grates that blow hot air.