The day after the death of a homeless person, found dead under an overpass in the midst of a cold snap, Mayor Valérie Plante announced on Tuesday that the Montreal Soccer Stadium would serve, as of Thursday, as a refuge for homeless people carrying COVID-19.
“I am obviously upset, like the rest of the Montreal population, by this event. For us, this is really an important demonstration that living in a makeshift shelter, in a tent or in a camp is not the solution, ”said Mayor Plante during a virtual press briefing.
The 74-year-old was known to social services and the police and had lived on the streets for about ten years, said Plante. “ We know that he refused to go to existing resources. […] It is of immense sadness. There is no one who should be sleeping outside. Anybody. It is extremely cold. It’s winter. You have to have a warm place, ”she said, while admitting that it was not possible to force people to go to shelters.
Valérie Plante maintains that there are enough places in the current shelters and heat stops to accommodate the homeless and she invited them to come. In addition, she announced, 300 additional places will be added with the opening of the Soccer Stadium, in the borough of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension, as of Thursday, which will bring more from 1800 the number of places available.
Recall that Monday evening, a few hours before his resignation is announced, the national director of public health of Quebec, Dr. Horacio Arruda, asked the shelters to increase their capacity so that “no one is forced to sleep outside. by these extreme cold ”, despite the risks of COVID-19 and the outbreaks that have occurred in several shelters.
The mayor, however, recalled that beyond the number of places available, the shortage of qualified personnel was a problem and she invited citizens to turn to the “I contribute” platform to lend a hand to the health network. and community organizations.
The City has the capacity to requisition places to accommodate homeless people, recalled the mayoress. “That’s not the problem. There are plenty of places you can use. The City had also requisitioned a hotel when it declared a state of emergency in December.
The mayor stressed that there were places for homeless people who have a dog or who are struggling with drinking problems. “In any case, we can accommodate them,” she said.