Where senior artists are considered, connected, community

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PAL Ottawa’s ‘PAL Place’

Housing artists and arts workers affordably in the heart of Little Italy

Living at 305 Rochester St.

PAL Place is a Passive house design affordable housing development slated to open in Fall 2026. The building will support affordable housing units, from bachelor to 3-bedroom apartments, for artists, arts workers and their families with priority given to applicants ages 55 and over.

It will include a generous amount of indoor and outdoor amenity space (including a rooftop terrace!), coupled with surface and underground parking, bicycle parking, storage lockers, and a central park. The main floor amenity space is designed to facilitate artistic creation, presentations, exhibitions, workshops, and more to benefit residents and the neighbourhood.

In partnership with Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), PAL Ottawa will provide services to residents of 305 Rochester as well as manage programming in the amenity spaces. Artists and arts workers will be able to live and continue to work in this enriched creative environment.

Official floor plans will be published soon and rental rates will be released in early 2026. Please visit the official project webpage here for more details!

How to Apply to PAL Place

All professional artists and arts workers are encouraged to apply using our online application form.

Please review PAL Ottawa’s definition of ‘professional artist and arts worker’ before you apply. (link to FAQ entry). Contact us at outreach@palottawa.org if you’d like to go over the details of your eligibility.

Once you’ve applied, PAL Ottawa will confirm the receipt of your application and add you to the Applicants’ Corner newsletter (pending your consent), to keep you in the loop when the selection process begins in 2026.

Please know, your application is not binding and does not commit you to accepting an apartment, if offered. The option to decline a unit is available, should your circumstances change.

If you have previously applied and your status or information has since changed, or if you have any questions, let us know by emailing outreach@palottawa.org.

Apply Now

“Affordable housing for arts workers has always been an issue and it keeps getting more dire with each passing year, as rents increase and salaries in a precarious industry stay stagnant. With the living and performance space PAL will provide, we can make the arts, and arts workers, a vital part of the community.”

Lynn Miles — Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is eligible to apply to live at PAL Place?

Individuals are eligible to apply for PAL Place units if they meet the following criteria:

-They are a professional artist or arts worker*
-They can live independently
-They qualify based on income levels and citizenship requirements set out by Ottawa Community Housing
-Artists and arts workers of all ages are welcome to apply; however, applicants 55 years of age and older will be given priority.

*Please review our FAQ titled "How does PAL Ottawa define a professional artist and arts worker?”.

People with disabilities are welcome and encouraged to apply. Please see the FAQ titled, "Can I apply if I have a disability?”.

We encourage applications from anyone interested to generate a waiting list for units when demand for new tenants is warranted.
How does PAL Ottawa define a professional artist and arts worker?
A professional artist or arts worker is an individual who has become established as an artist or arts worker in any discipline, or in an associated occupation and can be described under one of these categories:
1. Professional artist (or professional artisan):
  
  An illustrative list of artistic professions includes: painter, illustrator, printmaker, sculptor, art photographer, street artist, designer, animation artist, video artist, performance artist, architect, musician, conductor, singer, songwriter, actor, playwright, comedy artist, puppeteer, story-teller, street theatre artist, slam poet, scriptwriter, designer, writer, novelist, comic artist, poet, novelist, humourist, dancer, choreographer, fiction writer, caricaturist.
2. Technical professional:
  
  An illustrative list of technical professions includes: cameraman, gaffer/lighting technician, sound recorder, set design artist, sound design artist, make-up artist, motion graphics artist, costume designer, editor, visual effects artist.
3. Specialized professional in the arts:
  
  An illustrative list of specialized professions in the arts includes: art conservator, curator, art critic/journalist/researcher, art educator, arts producer, tuner of music instruments, art director, manufacturer and maintainer of music instruments, archivist, translator.
4. Entertainer:
  
  An illustrative list of entertainers includes: musician, dancer, singer, fashion model, fire-breather, pyrotechnic artist, magician, circus artist, spoken word artist or other performing artist.
To demonstrate this, the artist/artisan:
- May have specialized training in their artistic field/allied arts profession. Training may include academic instruction, apprenticeship or mentoring in any applied arts field or allied occupation.
- Is recognized as a professional by establishing a reputation of artistic/ professional merit, as judged by peers, through a record of exhibitions, public commissions, sale of works or educational attainment.
- Receives or has received compensation for their work, including but not limited to: sales; fees; commissions; royalties; residuals; grants and awards, any of which may reasonably be included as professional or business income.
Can I apply if I have a disability?

PAL Place is designed to be fully accessible, with 22 of the 86 apartment units designated for people with disabilities who are capable of independent living.
Does PAL Place have accommodations for individuals with visual impairments?

The design for PAL Place accommodates individuals who have visual impairments. In keeping with the standards of OCH buildings, every floor and all amenity rooms are labelled, which includes Braille. Braille is also standard within the elevators. Additional items include audible communication at the building’s main entrance system, and elevators, with power door operators in barrier-free paths of travel and universal washrooms.
If I am on Ottawa's Social Housing Registry waitlist, can I also apply to PAL Ottawa?

The answer is yes. However, the application for PAL is separate from the Social Housing Registry application process, and the rental rates are different. If you meet the eligibility criteria for PAL Place, we encourage you to apply separately through our online form. This will not compromise your place on the registry waitlist.
Do I need to be a member of PAL Ottawa in order to apply?

No
What is used to determine financial eligibility within the application process for PAL Place?

Based on Ottawa Community Housing affordability criteria, which PAL Ottawa utilizes, affordable housing is offered to individuals, couples or families who fall within a specified income bracket. The income variance (lowest income earned / highest income allowed) is a sliding scale allocated to the number of bedrooms in each unit. For example, a studio apartment will have a lower income variance than a 3-bedroom apartment. The combined total (gross) income of applicants cannot be over the ceiling limit. PAL Ottawa is working to offer an option for affordable rent, for applicants that fall under the baseline (low) limit criteria which will be reviewed on a case-by-case assessment by PAL Ottawa. The total income (combined) of all applicants for each unit is one of many eligibility assessment criteria per our Application Form.
How can I ask questions to PAL Ottawa about my interest in applying or my applicant information that may change after I submit my application?

Please email outreach@palottawa.org with any queries directly related to an application to PAL Ottawa for residence at PAL Place. This includes inquiries BEFORE you apply, AFTER you submit your application. If you have general inquiries about PAL Ottawa, contact us at info@palottawa.org.
How do I apply?

Please first review the application to determine if you meet the criteria as a professional artist or arts worker. If you qualify, then continue to fill out the application form available on our website in both English and French.
Click here to view the application form!
What happens after I send in my application?

Sending in the application via the PAL Ottawa website is step one in the process. Your application will be reviewed by PAL Ottawa. PAL Ottawa will contact the applicant by email or phone, per contact information provided on the application form during the process. Alternatively, an applicant can always contact PAL Ottawa via email at outreach@palottawa.org to update information on their application.
When will successful applicants be notified of their successful application?

We anticipate notifying successful applicants one (1) year or more in advance of occupancy to PAL Place. This gives time for future tenants to make necessary arrangements to depart their current place of residence. Details will be discussed with each successful applicant at that time.
What is PAL Ottawa?

PAL Ottawa is a volunteer-driven, non-profit, charitable organization that provides affordable housing, personal services and well-being programs to artists and art workers in the National Capital Region. We care for artists so they can sustainably create art that enriches all our lives.
What is PAL Place?

In partnership with Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), PAL Ottawa is building a new, mixed residence, net-zero emission, passive design building called PAL Place. PAL Ottawa will manage the 86 apartment block lease of studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom units to house senior artists and arts workers. PAL Place includes limited automobile and bicycle parking, shared greenspace, a rooftop terrace, and Creative Spaces. The latter is designed to facilitate sustained artistic creation, presentations, exhibitions, workshops, and more to benefit residents, the neighbourhood, and community-building through socio-economic partnership. Detailed information about PAL Place is available in our Case for Support.
Is the rent at PAL Place based on singular or combined household incomes if two or more people live in one unit?

The rental cost is based on an affordable rent model and formula directed by Ottawa Community Housing and CHMC. Applicants should be aware that the income of ALL parties living in a unit will be considered when determining affordable housing eligibility criteria. Again, this criteria is provided by and based on Ottawa Community Housing protocol.
What are the market rent prices for units at PAL Place?

The rental cost at PAL Place is based on affordable housing rates. NO market rent rates are charged to PAL Place residents. Rental rates for PAL Place are not available at this time. Once available, they will be posted on both the PAL Ottawa and Ottawa Community Housing websites.
What do the units look like?

Visit Mosaïq's website for more information. The various apartment layouts/designs of Mosaïq will be utilized at PAL Place.
Where is PAL Place located?

The official address of PAL Place will be 305 Rochester Street.
What is transportation like in the area of PAL Place? Is it easy to get around?

Public transportation will include a future LRT stop (Corso Italia Station), with OC Transpo bus stops located between 27 to 300 metres from the building. For personal transportation needs, limited vehicle and bicycle parking is available in an underground area at PAL Place, including accessible parking. Overall, the Italia Corso District has a walkability rating of 87 out of 100.

For more information on OC Transpo services and planning your travel, please visit octranspo.ca.
Will parking be available at PAL Place?

Limited underground automobile parking will be available to future tenants at PAL Place. Parking will also include a fee (not yet determined). We do not know the number of automobile parking spots available to PAL Place tenants, at this time. Be advised that an automobile parking spot will not be assigned to every apartment. Bicycle parking will also be available. We do anticipate a rental car-sharing program for future residents of PAL Place, although details are unknown at this time. Mosaïq, an OCH property located at 811 Gladstone Avenue provides a car-sharing program. News on this program can be found here.