(Montreal) The Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant, announced on Friday an additional $1,452,000 to prevent overdoses, which are on the rise in Greater Montreal. For the organizations concerned, these new amounts will only be used to restore services.
“We lacked good news, and there we have it,” rejoiced Annie Aubertin, general manager of Specter de rue, present alongside Lionel Carmant at a press conference. Last year, the organization’s envelope was reduced, forcing a reduction in the hours of service at the supervised injection site.
The sums of $300,000 granted respectively to Spectre de rue, Cactus Montréal, L’Anonyme and Dopamine, harm prevention organizations, will give new life, according to the executive director. The funding, which will be renewed each year, will ensure stability in the hours of service, in order to avoid that no user finds himself faced with a closed door, underlined Jean-François Mary, director of Cactus Montreal, also present for the announcement.
However, the “storm” is not over, argues Annie Aubertin. She points out that the overdose issue is part of a larger crisis, including a lack of housing and mental health services.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Annie Aubertin and Lionel Carmant in the offices of the organization Specter de rue
Crumbs in a critical situation
“What was announced this morning is crumbs when we see the extent and the devastation of the homelessness and opioid crisis in Montreal,” reacted Benoit Langevin, spokesperson for the official opposition at Montreal City Hall on homelessness, by email. According to Mr. Langevin, the Government of Quebec is not responding to the significant increase in needs and is only restoring what has been cut.
On Twitter, Mayor Valérie Plante welcomed the “good news”, while stressing the importance of “continuing efforts for more social housing, more dedicated resources and more mental health services”.
“One step at a time, indicated Lionel Carmant, who says he is aware of the increase in homelessness. If you put all your effort into one thing, you miss the rest. »
The Minister hinted that 200 supervised housing could be announced soon for the Ville-Marie and Hochelaga districts.
Asked about the government’s lack of leadership on homelessness, the minister said he “never threw the ball” to anyone else. “I’m here to support,” he said. The municipalities have to tell me where the services will go and who will manage them”.
The municipal councilor and responsible for the homelessness file on the executive committee of the City of Montreal, Josefina Blanco, welcomed the announcement. She does not feel that the government is putting the responsibility for the homelessness crisis in the hands of the City.
“Municipalities are the experts, with community organizations on the front line,” said the municipal councillor.
“The situation remains critical,” she added. The solution is collective”.
Services worthy of an “emergency room”
Every day, approximately 200 people use the Cactus Montreal consumption room, located on rue Berger in the borough of Ville-Marie. “It’s almost a [salle d’] emergency,” said Jean-François Mary, the organization’s director general.
For the organizations involved, the additional funding is “totally game-changing,” he said. However, the director general is aware that it is “a stone in a building”.
In her long-term vision, Annie Aubertin would like services to be accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which the current amounts do not allow.
For the general manager of Specter de rue, the supervised injection site is only one of the needs of the people who use it, and the funding therefore remains “partitioned”.
Decriminalizing drugs could also “avoid unnecessary stigma,” according to Annie Aubertin. The question is not in the cards of the government, specified Lionel Carmant.
“I’m here to help them, not to hide them,” insisted the Minister, referring to the users of the services of the four organizations.
A sum of $252,000 will also go to the Direction de la Santé publique for the development of new services for supervised consumption and drug verification, while new substances claim victims.