Barriers to Better Community Integration: A Research Report on Ottawa’s Places of Faith
In Canada, places of faith have long served as cornerstones in our communities, shaping both the cultural and physical landscapes of our neighbourhoods over many generations. While their primary role is to serve their congregations, many of Canada’s places of faith also act as community hubs – providing free or affordable space, resources, and services to residents and community groups. They also stand as historic landmarks, offering a tangible link to local heritage which helps to foster a sense of shared identity amongst community members.
In recent years, the important social and cultural role that faith buildings play in their local communities has been at risk of decline. Changes in patterns of religious practice have led to aging congregations and strained financial conditions, resulting in the closure of many faith buildings across the country.[1] This loss affects more than just the faith communities, it also jeopardizes the work of local organizations that rely on the low rent, central location, and space available in these buildings to deliver essential social services, as well as arts and cultural programming.
In Ottawa, many dynamic community-based organizations operate from within places of faith. Initiatives such as Multifaith Housing, Centre 507, and Alliance to End Homelessness depend on these buildings to serve the city’s vulnerable populations. A wide range of not-for-profit groups—from theatre ensembles and choirs to youth programs, sports clubs, and addiction support networks—also depend on the accessibility and affordability of these venues. As rental prices rise citywide, the continued availability of faith buildings has become increasingly vital for organizations that might otherwise be priced out of the spaces they need to operate.
Yet, despite the clear and growing need for affordable spaces, Ottawa’s community organizations have reported to the National Trust a notable decline in the number of faith communities whose doors remain open to them in the years during and following the Covid-19 pandemic. After checking-in with several faith communities, it was revealed that many were in fact reluctance to share their space due to the assumption that key barriers – whether physical, financial, operational, or cultural – were preventing them from opening their buildings to the broader public for shared use. The extent to which these assumptions reflect reality had yet to be studied. This gap has become the driving force for this report. The hesitation to engage with surrounding communities has been contributing to the vulnerability of Ottawa’s places of faith for too long and is putting them at greater risk.
By sharing their buildings with local community groups at low rental rates, faith communities can generate much-needed income to help cover operational and maintenance costs – thereby supporting the long-term sustainability of these spaces and helping to break the current cycle of closure and demolition. By avoiding engagement, faith communities risk missing valuable opportunities to strengthen their financial position and build stronger connections with the wider community, all while preserving these historic buildings.
To better understand the barriers that faith communities in Ottawa perceive as preventing or complicating space sharing with community organizations – and ultimately to offer recommendations and resources to encourage and support future partnerships – the National Trust for Canada has conducted research to identify these key barriers and how they might be overcome.
Insights were gathered through online surveys, interviews and coaching sessions with four places of faith and twelve Ottawa-based community organizations. The responses were analyzed and compared to highlight the most reported barriers, as well as notable differences in perceptions between the two groups.
Four types of perceived barriers were identified in this research:
- Physical barriers – limitations imposed by aging infrastructure, limited maintenance budgets, and a lack of accessible facilities.
- Financial barriers – challenges caused by the fear that charging rent may impact a place of faith’s charitable and tax-free status, as well as contradict their charitable mission.
- Operational Barriers – setbacks in communications caused by a lack of operational capacity, making it difficult to manage space rentals.
- Cultural Barriers – relational issues caused when either group assumed their values are misallied with the others, leading to perceived differences that may or may not reflect actual incompatibilities. Additionally, tensions caused by a perceived lack of neutrality within faith communities which make their buildings appear less hospitable. Many of these tensions are rooted in the historic (and ongoing) exclusions of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals from faith communities and the ongoing legacy of harm towards Indigenous peoples by religious organizations in Canada.
Through this research, the National Trust for Canada seeks to encourage new partnerships between faith communities and local non-profits. The findings highlight that many faith and community groups share common goals and values, such as providing members of their community with safe spaces to collaborate, engage, and serve each other. Space sharing plays a vital role in sustaining faith buildings as shared community spaces, while also enhancing the range and reach of community services. By keeping historic places of faith active and relevant through community use, these buildings can continue to be living examples of local heritage.
Download our Checklist to Faith Building Space Sharing.
Resources:
Case Study: St. James Centennial United Church | Regeneration Works (National Trust for Canada)
Case Study: Historic Leith Church | Regeneration Works (National Trust for Canada)
Tip Sheet: Regeneration 101 | Regeneration Works (National Trust for Canada)
Tip Sheet: The Power of Video | Regeneration Works (National Trust for Canada)
Tip Sheet: Creating a Virtual Tour on Your Phone | Regeneration Works (National Trust for Canada)
[1] Louis Cornelissen, “Religiosity in Canada and Its Evolution from 1985 to 2019,” Insights on Canadian Society (Statistics Canada, October 28, 2021): 5-6. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/75-006-x/2021001/article/00010-eng.pdf.
