Shauna Young, executive director of Belong Ottawa, says Centre 454 is “engaging in a feasibility study to look for appropriately located interim and permanent spaces." Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia

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Andrew Barnett has a routine.

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Every morning, after waking up at a shelter in downtown Ottawa, he takes a short walk to Centre 454 in Sandy Hill for breakfast.

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After breakfast, he might use the centre’s laundry service or the clothing vouchers it has given him to get something new.

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Barnett also knows 454 will give him lunch every day and top him off with whatever toiletries he needs.

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“At the shelter, you have to be out by a certain time, during the daytime,” Barnett said, adding that, in contrast, 454 was an “anchor, where you can stick around all day if you want. It’s like a mini home base.”

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But Barnett isn’t sure his routine will persist after 454 relocates in January 2027.

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The City of Ottawa has told the service it must move from its corner location at King Edward and Daly avenues to continue receiving municipal funding. In 2025, that financial support was more than $4 million.

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Andrew Barnett says he relies on the services at Centre 454, calling it an “anchor” for him. Photo by Olivia Belovich /Postmedia

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Barnett and other 454 “participants,” as they’re called, say that they aren’t sure how far they’d be willing to trek in winter and that it depends on where 454 moves. Those who work in the sector say that’s exactly what concerns them.

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While the centre’s executive director, Shauna Young, isn’t sure where 454 will end up, she said it was “engaging in a feasibility study to look for appropriately located interim and permanent spaces,” meaning she hoped to find a new location that could serve the same individuals.

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454 is part of Belong Ottawa, a group of three social-service hubs — the others are The Well and St. Luke’s Table — around the city that operate under the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa.

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The three hubs serve between 500 and 600 individuals daily, with 454 making up almost half of them, according to Young, who directs all three.

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The centre provides individuals who need them with an array of supports beyond food, such as a place to shower, do laundry, connect to the internet and to securely store belongings.

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A service as simple as having a locker can change someone’s life, Young said.

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“A lot of our participants use our lockers to store items for whenever they’re touring housing opportunities. There’s been a lot of discrimination our folks have experienced from meeting with potential landlords,” Young said.

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David Melo — who uses 454’s services and lives at the nearby Ottawa Mission — has seen the impact of lockers first-hand.

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“It’s peace of mind because, if you’re losing your stuff, or people are stealing your stuff, it makes you more depressed, but also, your cortisol levels are raised and in fight-or-flight mode,” Melo said.

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David Melo has been visiting Centre 454 on King Edward Avenue in Ottawa for about eight months. He calls it a “sanctuary.” Photo by Olivia Belovich /Postmedia

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The centre also hosts about a dozen cots, which are always full, Young said.

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“Whenever I visit the centre and peek into the room, every space is filled. It’s filled with people who line up before our doors open at eight (a.m.). By 8:05, every one of those spots is filled by people who are often too frightened to sleep in a shelter,” Young said.