Homelessness ranks first among Ottawa voter concerns, new Nanos poll finds
A Nanos Research survey of 815 Ottawa residents, commissioned by the Ottawa Mission and released 19 October 2026, shows housing and homelessness ranked as the top municipal issue at 38 per cent, ahead of policing at 22 per cent and transit at 19 per cent.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on ottawamission.com.
A Nanos Research survey released on 19 October 2026 found that 38 per cent of Ottawa residents name housing and homelessness as the city's most important municipal issue, above policing at 22 per cent and light rail and transportation at 19 per cent. The Ottawa Mission commissioned the survey, and CityNews Ottawa reported it.
Nanos Research conducted a random telephone survey of 815 Ottawa residents aged 18 and older between September 25 and October 6, 2026. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Homelessness concern has grown since 2019
The Ottawa Mission last commissioned a similar survey in 2019. At that time, 29 per cent of residents ranked housing and homelessness as their top concern. The 2026 result of 38 per cent is 9 percentage points higher.
The share of residents who believe someone they care about faces at least a small risk of homelessness also rose, from 46 per cent in 2019 to 56 per cent in 2026. According to the Ottawa Mission's release, 85 per cent of residents say homelessness has a serious impact on people who experience it, and 59 per cent say it has serious consequences for Canada as a country.
Peter Tilley, CEO of the Ottawa Mission, said in the release: "Homelessness, food insecurity, substance use and mental health distress have reached far beyond an emergency to now catastrophic levels."
How Ottawans see the causes
The Nanos survey also asked residents what they believe drives homelessness. In 2026, 54 per cent pointed to physical or mental health conditions or addictions as the largest contributor. That is down from 62 per cent in 2019.
Over the same period, the share who named a lack of affordable housing as the main cause rose from 17 per cent to 23 per cent, according to the Ottawa Mission's release.
On food insecurity, respondents estimated that 33 per cent of Ottawa households cannot afford healthy food. On responsibility, 42 per cent said all levels of government should share the work of addressing homelessness.
What this means for voters on October 26
Ottawa voters choose a mayor, one councillor for each of 24 wards, and school board trustees on 26 October 2026. Housing, shelter access and homelessness have been a recurring theme in the mayoral race. The full list of candidates for mayor and every ward is at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates#mayor.
Advance voting day was 16 October. Voting places across Ottawa are open on 26 October 2026. The City of Ottawa's voting information is at ottawa.ca.
Questions this story answers
Who conducted this poll and who paid for it?
Nanos Research conducted the poll. The Ottawa Mission, a non-profit shelter and social services organization in Ottawa, commissioned the survey. The Ottawa Mission published the results on its own website on 19 October 2026. Nanos Research is an independent research firm based in Ottawa.
How many people were surveyed and when?
Nanos Research surveyed 815 Ottawa residents aged 18 and older. The interviews ran from September 25 to October 6, 2026. The survey used a random dual-frame telephone method and was weighted by age and gender using Census data. Results were geographically adjusted to represent Ottawa.
What is the margin of error for this poll?
The margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. That means, for a result of 38 per cent, the true figure is likely between 34.5 and 41.5 per cent. A margin of 3.5 points is typical for a survey of this size.
What were the top municipal priorities Ottawa residents named?
According to the Nanos Research survey, 38 per cent of Ottawa residents ranked housing and homelessness as the most important municipal concern. Policing came second at 22 per cent. Light rail and transportation came third at 19 per cent. These three categories together account for 79 per cent of respondents naming a top concern.
How have these numbers changed since 2019?
The Ottawa Mission commissioned a similar survey in 2019. At that time, 29 per cent of residents named housing and homelessness as the top concern. The 2026 result of 38 per cent is a 9-percentage-point increase over seven years. The share believing a person they care about could face homelessness also rose, from 46 per cent in 2019 to 56 per cent in 2026.
What does the poll say about the risk of homelessness for Ottawa residents personally?
The Nanos survey found that 56 per cent of Ottawa residents believe that someone they care about has at least a small risk of becoming homeless. That is up from 46 per cent in the 2019 survey. The Ottawa Mission said in its release that this finding reflects how broadly the issue now reaches across the city.
What does the poll say about the perceived causes of homelessness?
In 2026, 54 per cent of Ottawa residents believed that physical or mental health conditions or addictions were the largest contributor to homelessness. That is down from 62 per cent in 2019. At the same time, 23 per cent pointed to a lack of affordable housing as the main cause, up from 17 per cent in 2019. The shift shows growing public recognition of housing supply and affordability as a driver.
How is this poll relevant to the October 26 Ottawa election?
Voters in Ottawa choose a new mayor, one councillor for each of 24 wards, and school board trustees on 26 October 2026. The Nanos poll shows which issues voters care most about going into election day. Housing and homelessness ranked first. If you want to see where mayoral candidates stand on this issue, you can read their profiles at the Ottawa candidates page on this site.
Where can I find more information about Ottawa's mayoral candidates?
Voche.me publishes profiles for every candidate on the City of Ottawa's certified list. You can see the full list of mayoral candidates and read each profile at the Ottawa candidates page. The October 26 election covers the mayor's race plus 24 city council wards and four school boards.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Ottawa Mission — Nanos Research survey releaseottawamission.com
- CityNews Ottawa — Homelessness a key issue over policing in Ottawa, poll showsottawa.citynews.ca
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