Women who are homeless — or at risk of being homeless — will have access to some twenty new rooms at subsidized rent starting July 2 in the borough of Ville-Marie.
Managed by the organization Chez Doris, the residence on rue Saint-André inaugurated on Tuesday will also offer the services of workers to help tenants develop their autonomy. “Going through our residences allows [aux femmes en difficulté] to regain control of their lives, to have a much more stable situation,” explains Alexandra Delgado, reintegration and housing maintenance coordinator at Chez Doris.
The rooms are intended for women over the age of 18, permanent residents or Canadian citizens, who earn $32,500 or less per year. Residents will need to receive a referral from a social worker. They will pay rent equivalent to 25% of their annual income, limited to a ceiling of $858 per month.
The residence is divided into apartments of three to five bedrooms which each have a kitchen and a common area. Each room has its own private bathroom, and there will be two workers on site in the morning and evening, as well as a security guard at night.
“A concrete solution”
The project, at a total cost of $6.4 million, was made possible by a contribution of $5 million from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, through its Initiative for the rapid creation of housing. The remaining $1.4 million was raised from private donors, including a $1 million donation from philanthropist Bash Shetty, after whom the new residence is named.
Benoit Dorais, vice-president of the executive committee of the City of Montreal, did not hide his enthusiasm for the quality of the facilities. “I’m really ‘flabbergaste’,” he exclaimed at a press conference. 20 people come out of the street. Being able to provide shelter for these women in a safe building is a concrete solution to the fight against homelessness. »
Mr. Dorais recognizes, however, that the survival of rooming houses is in danger in Montreal. “They are decreasing year after year,” he admits. He specifies that the City of Montreal has put the hundred or so rooming houses held by the private sector under the right of pre-emption, which gives it purchase priority over these buildings. “In one year, we’ve bought four so far,” he says. There are certainly other transactions coming up in the short and medium term. »
Growing needs
The demand for this type of establishment does not run out of steam, notes Marina Boulos-Winton, general manager of Chez Doris: “We see a lot more homelessness than before. For example, when we were just a day shelter, 20% of our clientele were homeless. We see about 1,500 different women a year. Right now, 60% are homeless, so it’s tripled. »
Mme Boulos-Winton sees this increase in precariousness having repercussions on the activities of Chez Doris. “We were only 11 employees [en 2014], with a budget of $750,000, she says. Now our operating budget will be almost 8 million [avec près de 90 employés]. »
Chez Doris is an organization that offers services to vulnerable and homeless women, including a night shelter offering emergency accommodation. With the help of its various partners, it notably manages housing, food, financial management and physical and mental health programs.