An agreement would be imminent to release the $50M from the federal program dedicated to homelessness, granted to Quebec. This is good news. However, a question remains: where to find spaces and beds?
It has been nine years since the Royal Victoria Hospital closed following the opening of the MUHC. Most of the pavilions are still vacant although they were used to accommodate the homeless during COVID. The land is huge, 13.5 hectares!
As it is a place in the heart of the city center which has had a mission of supporting sick and vulnerable populations throughout its history, it is difficult to explain why our leaders do not ensure that some of the pavilions are used to house homeless people who already live near the site?
What is happening to this immense strategic jewel in the heart of the metropolis?
It is difficult to navigate, because several organizations manage parts of projects.
McGill secured part of the site for its The New Vic project. You should know that this will only occupy 15% of the site (6 pavilions) while there are 17 in total.
The Société québécoise des infrastructures SQI has the mandate to find a use for the remainder of the site while the Minister of Finance has mandated the Caisse de dépôt to “study the establishment of a world-class inter-university city on a portion of the site “.
The City of Montreal announced a strategic project on three lots transferred by the government: grass.
Please act
They chat, weigh, evaluate, while Michel, Jacques and the others pile up in the metro entrances for the nights to come. Hello friends! There are rooms, toilets and facilities at the Royal Vic.
Why continue to look for vocations when there are people sleeping on the streets?
There is an emergency and there is a solution. Let’s act for heaven’s sake.
