“Every year for the last several years we’ve housed about 1,800-2,000 households from the waiting list,” Solvason-Wiebe said, but in 2009 the registry accepted nearly 5,000 new applications.
“Guess what? You’re creating an ongoing demand.”
Every month registry staff receive 450-500 new applications.
Solvason-Wiebe, who also chairs the Ottawa Social Housing Network, said her staff tell people there is a four- to eight-year waiting period for those on the list.
In some areas of the city the wait can be up to 12 years.