Mayor Jim Watson is pledging to move one of the three homeless shelters clustered in the downtown core.

Monday morning, Watson spoke at a meeting with the ByWard Market and Rideau Street businesses about the issues with having the three main shelters so close to each other.

"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."

Watson said the plan is to build and move individuals into supportive housing units instead.