Montreal officials announced a meaningful expansion of winter services for the city’s unhoused population Monday, adding 500 temporary shelter spaces and granting the city greater authority to respond to the needs of those seeking refuge from the cold. The $4.7 million initiative, fully funded by the Quebec provincial government, aims to address a growing concern as temperatures drop and builds on recent criticism of inadequate support for vulnerable residents. Mayor Soraya martinez Ferrada’s governance detailed plans to have the additional spaces operational before Christmas, while navigating concerns from some boroughs about equitable distribution of resources.
Montreal is bolstering its winter outreach program with 500 new temporary shelter spaces, alongside expanded authority for city officials to address the needs of its unhoused population as temperatures drop. The initiative, unveiled Monday by the Martinez Ferrada administration, represents a significant effort to manage the challenges of winter homelessness in the city.
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The additional spaces will bring the total number of available shelter beds in Montreal to 2,458. City officials described the expansion as a “quick and concrete” solution to address the anticipated increase in demand during the winter months, according to comments made Monday by committee president Claude Pinard.
The new municipal administration has already secured agreements with various community organizations to open 233 of these spaces within the next two weeks. The remaining spaces are expected to be operational “by Christmas,” Pinard stated.
These 233 new spaces will be located across “eight or nine sites,” some of which already provide similar services.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Montreal City Executive Committee President Claude Pinard
Some of the new locations will offer 24/7 services. “Each site will have its own specific features,” explained Mylène Drouin, regional director of public health for the Montreal region. Several locations will also accommodate pets.
The initiative will cost CAD $4.7 million, fully funded by the Quebec provincial government through various programs that Montreal was able to access.
The move comes as the new mayor has previously criticized the provision of only chairs for those experiencing homelessness, calling it an undignified solution. “With the crisis situation we are currently experiencing, I won’t say no to having a chair, but that’s not what we want to offer people, it’s not treating people with dignity,” she said Monday.
Location Details Remain Undisclosed
The Martinez Ferrada administration is withholding specific location details amid growing concerns from some boroughs regarding the concentration of resources for people experiencing homelessness. Last week, the new mayor of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve closed the door to opening any new permanent shelters in the district.
Responding to concerns from residents, Soraya Martinez Ferrada said Monday, “they are right.” “We have a responsibility to offer territorial equity to the social safety net we want to provide to people living on the street,” she added.
She declined to reveal the locations selected for the new spaces, stating, “I don’t want a citizen to learn today at a press conference that a warming center is coming next to their home and we haven’t had time to talk to them.” A more detailed announcement is expected next week.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada
“Everyone must contribute, everyone must do their part,” said Claude Pinard earlier, directing his appeal to “all mayors and mayoresses.”
Expanded City Authority
For those experiencing homelessness who choose not to utilize the warming centers, the city hopes to provide sleeping bags and other essential equipment. “Are there more effective tents we can offer them, are there sleeping bags we can offer them?” offered the leader of Ensemble Montréal as an example. “My priority is to ensure we preserve human life during extreme cold.”
The city has also been granted new powers by the Quebec government to facilitate a more rapid response, officials announced.
“Specifically, we will be exempt from certain laws or regulations that would prevent us from awarding contracts directly, or requisitioning buildings or spaces that we need,” she explained.
A “crisis cell” comprised of various stakeholders, including the mayor and the city’s director general, will also be established. The group will meet weekly to enable quick decision-making, according to Soraya Martinez Ferreda.
“It’s about being able to bring situations we see day-to-day or week-to-week to the table, so we can act quickly,” she added.
Mylène Drouin also urged citizens and municipal workers to show tolerance towards individuals seeking warmth during the winter months.
