Comedian Mike Ward offered the City of Montreal more than twenty tiny houses for the homeless in response to the death of a homeless woman during a freezing evening in the last few days.
Posted at 5:08 p.m.
The comedian claims to have proposed to build 25 shelters for the homeless. These insulated, heated log cabins were donated to the City last year, Ward said.
“The offer still stands,” he wrote on social media. We can stay comfortably until -30. Designed for people most at risk, those who refuse to sleep in shelters. »
If Montreal agrees, the installation could be done within a week, promises the artist.
“A simple yes from you and no one else will freeze to death this winter. »
Valérie Plante thanked the popular comedian for this initiative, without giving a clear answer as to the implementation of such a project.
“We don’t want to leave anyone behind either. We work with health and the community so that everyone has a roof and lives in dignity. Homelessness is a complex issue that requires supervised and adapted solutions, ”wrote the mayor of the metropolis.
An explanation that was not enough for the host of Mike Ward wiretapped. “It’s a politician’s answer. I want to help people who slip between the cracks of the system. How do we manage to help them? “, he replied.
The office of the mayor clarified everything in a press release, welcoming the will of Mr. Ward.
“However, we consider that the installation of mini houses across the city is not an appropriate solution to help the most vulnerable. Homeless people need an entire ecosystem to support them. They not only need a roof, but also social workers and adapted services. »
“We are aware of these great needs and this is what we are working hard on with our partners in order to make appropriate and safe resources available to the most vulnerable. The 24/7 shelter for homeless Indigenous people that we inaugurated yesterday [samedi] is a perfect example. »
A different idea
A vision shared by Sam Watts, General Manager of Welcome Hall Mission, a resource that offers several services to the homeless in downtown Montreal. “Charitable efforts are not always helpful,” he explains to The Press in writing. The reality is complex. I encourage citizens who care about vulnerable people to help professional organizations that are already serving homeless people. »
For Chantal Laferrière, director general of the Mission Saint-Michael, an organization offering services 24 hours a day in Montreal, the idea is however interesting because it is out of the ordinary. “There’s nothing like that in Montreal,” she says. So why not? In his opinion, it should be a pilot project, associated with a homelessness resource. Several factors should also be taken into account, such as accessibility to toilets, for example.
“It’s not fair to bring 25 or 30 tents [qui va régler le problème]. It doesn’t work like that, assures Mme Laferriere. Otherwise, there will be anarchy and it will not be beautiful. »
According to her, such a measure could support people who refuse to go to resources. “They won’t go inside. They will not go to resources or to services, she explains. They want to be free to do what they want, how they want. »