Mayor Jim Watson said his goal is to see the removal of one of the three homeless shelters in the downtown core.
Speaking to a meeting of ByWard Market and Rideau Street businesses Monday morning, Watson admitted there are problems with having the three current shelters so close to each other.
He focused on incidents where residents spend time on the streets where they can be tempted or get into trouble.
"It's not taking a problem and moving it to another neighbourhood," he said.
"It's taking these people out of a problem situation, and giving them a real shot at trying to recover from some of the challenges that they're facing."