Citing the homelessness crisis and the arrival of severe cold, the mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, announced Thursday the emergency opening of a 30-place heat stop in a municipal building located a stone’s throw from stone of the town hall.
Posted at 12:31 p.m.
Montreal is not waiting for funding from the Quebec government to open this resource, the development of which cost $20,000, but intends to send it the bill, indicated the mayor.
“The City is making a humanitarian gesture by going beyond its field of competence to allow the opening of this place. We choose to protect lives by taking this necessary action to protect the most vulnerable this winter,” declared Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.
The approximately 100 places in shelters opened since the start of winter are filled to capacity almost every evening, just as the homeless shelters indicate to the community organizations that manage them.
Read our report on the homelessness crisis in Montreal
Mme Plante recalled, at a press briefing, that she had proposed two sites to the Quebec government for the installation of heat centers a few weeks ago, but that no provincial funding had been granted for these projects. .
The City has not found a community organization capable of administering the new heat stop. For the moment, she will be supervised by private security agents and EMMIS (Mobile Mediation and Social Intervention Team) workers, while waiting for a better solution.
“It may not be ideal, but it is better than sleeping in a tent or under a bridge, and being at risk of freezing to death completely isolated,” said Robert Beaudry, head of homelessness to the executive committee.
The premises, which will open Friday and will welcome people in need from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., is located behind the Lucien-Saulnier building, in Old Montreal, which served as a temporary city hall during work on the building. heritage building on Notre-Dame Street.
Chairs will be available in two rooms, one for men and one for women, in addition to a small dining room where snacks will be offered.
The City had offered this space for the installation of the heat station for the organization L’Itinéraire, which had refused it because it did not suit its needs. It was then redeveloped by municipal services to transform the offices into large rooms.
In addition to this resource, the Montreal Emergency Measures Coordination Center is triggering its Special Intervention Plan – Extreme Cold, and will open a temporary emergency accommodation center at the YMCA Centre-Ville, on Stanley Street, in the city center.
From Saturday evening, it will be able to accommodate 50 people and will be monitored by security guards. The SPVM will conduct patrols to visit places frequented by people experiencing homelessness, in order to direct them to this center, indicates the City.
