OMRA OTTAWA
Helping resettled refugees in Ottawa manage rental costs
Our Mission
OMRA’s mission is to make it easier for resettled refugees to get affordable housing in Ottawa. To achieve this, OMRA provides rent subsidies to select refugee families and individuals. OMRA also advocates for better access to affordable housing in our city.
Rent Subsidies
OMRA provides rent subsidies to resettled refugees who have recently arrived in Canada. Subsidy recipients are identified through referrals by private sponsorship groups and by the Catholic Centre for Immigrants or other refugee settlement agencies.
Evaluating the effectiveness of OMRA Rent Subsidies
In 2023, OMRA received funding from the Catherine Donnelly Foundation to assess the impact and cost of its time-limited rent subsidies and to explore the possibility of expanding them to include other vulnerable neighborhoods in Ottawa. According to a University of Ottawa team, OMRA is successfully reaching its target group, which leads to gains in social connections, housing stability, and educational and employment status.
Download the OMRA Study Report (June, 2024)