In March 2020, the City of Montreal declared a state of emergency specifically to contain the spread of COVID-19 among the homeless population.
Since then, as soon as the icy breath of winter hits the city, officials launch initiatives such as turning hotels into emergency shelters and an unused hospital into an isolation unit, while pushing a variety of of services for homeless people.
But Welcome Hall Mission’s CEO and CEO says homelessness is something that happens 365 days a year, and that these seasonal emergency actions don’t lead to long-term solutions at a time when the situation seems get worse.
“There are more people coming into homelessness than coming out of it,” Sam Watts said.
That’s why homeless organizations in Montreal are calling on all three levels of government to invest more in lasting change, pushing more resources and social housing to get people into permanent housing.
“Let’s stop this idea that every time winter comes we try to increase the number of spaces available in case of an emergency and instead focus our energy and effort 365 days a year on helping the people back into housing quickly,” Watts said. .
“Homelessness is a problem across government and all levels of government,” he added. “It’s everybody.”
Press for proper support structure
Organizations are also pushing for more resources to be invested in preventing homelessness by having the right support structure and affordable housing in place, said James Hughes, who leads the Old Brewery mission.
“There are too many people coming in the first place,” Hughes said.
That starts by helping people as soon as they leave correctional services, mental health institutions, child protection or hospitals, he said.
“Making sure they go directly to housing or other safe places and not to the homeless and dealing with the trauma of homelessness in the first place,” Hughes said.
Sam Watts, CEO of the Welcome Hall Mission, says it’s important for all levels of government to be involved in ending homelessness in Montreal. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)
Winter presents specific risks, but services don’t necessarily change based on the season, Hughes said, noting that an estimated 4,000 people are homeless in Montreal.
Traditionally, financial contributions tend to increase this time of year, and donations of warm winter clothing are certainly encouraged, but like Watts, she says homelessness is a year-round problem.
3-step plan presented to governments
That’s why Montreal’s leading organizations came together to establish a three-step plan to ensure there are enough rapid access emergency services and enough support to permanently house about 2,250 people, offering rent supplements and ongoing support as they are found.
Hughes said advocates want annualized funding to ensure an even better support network is in place. Getting people into housing, with the housing market the way it is today, is harder than ever, he said.
This housing market means more emergency services are needed right now, while at the same time investing more in long-term solutions will eventually curb that need for big investment in patchwork solutions, he said. Hughes.
James Hughes, president and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission, says Montreal needs resources to prevent homelessness or respond quickly to those experiencing it. (Charles Contant/Radio-Canada)
Meanwhile, staff at Chez Doris, a women’s shelter in Montreal, say they are dealing with unprecedented demand.
“We turn away an average of nine women per night, as well as maybe 12 to 18 more women sleeping outside,” said executive director Marina Boulos-Winton.
The night shelter opened this September. Boulos-Winton said workers expected to serve about 300 homeless women a year. But in the first two months, they served more than half.
A few years ago, about 80 percent of the women who sought help at Chez Doris were at risk of homelessness, but now that’s the percentage of women who show up who are actually homeless.
She said Chez Doris needs mental health professionals on staff, and while the organization is doing what it can, the number of beds available for women in Montreal needs to be doubled.
The Old Brewery Mission has also been in full swing this fall. The mission sent out a press release in December saying “the 1,600 emergency beds available do not meet the critical needs of the thousands of homeless people in Montreal.”
Montreal makes investments
The local health agency, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, community housing organizations and the city have worked together over the past few months to ensure that there are around 1,600 beds emergency available during the year, Montreal said. spokesman Guillaume Rivest.
Last winter, Montreal suggested to the Quebec government that it end the seasonal approach and instead ensure that permanent beds are available year-round, 24 hours a day, throughout the city, Rivest said.
“The 1,623 annual places planned for this year for emergency accommodation services show that the city has been listened to by Quebec,” he said.
“With the arrival of the cold, the partners of homeless people continue to be aware of the needs that may arise, such as the increase in poverty in certain sectors or the arrival of people with a precarious situation in the services of homeless people”.
The city and its partners have the experience and agility to handle these situations and create more spaces as needed, Rivest said.
The CIUSSS and Montreal, in collaboration with the community sector, have developed a plan that aims to help homeless people access housing and get back on their feet while taking into account their realities, individual needs and aspirations, he added.
“The city provides technical and financial support to various projects, especially in the area of social coexistence,” said Rivest. “There are several teams in the field at the moment to meet homeless people who are left outside during periods of extreme cold.”