A new accommodation center for homeless natives was inaugurated Monday afternoon in downtown Montreal. A first step which will have to be followed by other initiatives in the metropolis, where the number of homeless natives is on the increase, agree Quebec and Ottawa.
Located on Saint-Hubert Street, near the Village sector, Maison Akhwà:tsire has 18 rooms with a capacity of 22 people. The building, acquired in May 2021 by the organization Projets autochtones du Québec (PAQ), has three floors that have undergone major renovations in recent years, in particular to fit out six rooms accessible to people with reduced mobility and to fit out sprinklers in the building.
Unlike shelters for the homeless, which offer temporary accommodation, this center includes supervised housing where tenants can stay “permanently”, underlined the Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant. Tenants will also benefit from the Rent Supplement Program, managed by the Société d’habitation du Québec, which allows its beneficiaries to pay 25% of their gross income for housing.
Workers will also provide psychosocial support 24 hours a day in this building, where tenants will also be able to receive medical and clinical care on a regular basis, while a supervised alcohol consumption service will also be offered in this building.
“It represents reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, it represents a space for people who have been on the streets for years, maybe decades, who have experienced generational trauma and who need a place to call home. dignity, “rejoiced Monday afternoon, at a press conference, the director general of PAQ, Heather Johnson.
The realization of this project has benefited from funding totaling more than $6.8 million, including $4.7 million from the federal government, while various donors from the public and private sectors have awarded a sum totaling $2.1 million. The Government of Quebec is committed to providing recurring financial support of $1 million to PAQ to help it provide support services to people housed in these units.
Respond to the request
This new center will thus come in part to meet a growing demand for accommodation for homeless Indigenous people in Montreal, whose number has increased considerably since the start of the pandemic, mentioned the Minister responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit. , Ian Lafreniere. However, he recognized in the same breath that other initiatives of the kind will have to emerge to meet the demand.
“During COVID, we saw very impressive numbers regarding the number of homeless people who were either First Nations or Inuit. So, if you ask me today if with the addition of 22 places, everything is settled, the answer is no”, launched Mr. Lafrenière.
According to Heather Johnston, the increase in drug use problems in Aboriginal communities and the shortage of affordable rental housing in the metropolis are among the factors that may have contributed to the increase in the number of homeless Aboriginal people in recent years.
In this context, “there is a huge chasm, which is not ready to be filled, in the service offer for homeless Indigenous people”, also illustrated the Minister responsible for Crown-Indigenous Relations, Marc Miller. . The latter stressed the importance of continuing to invest to meet these growing needs, in Montreal as in other cities across the country.
“We want to welcome other projects because the needs in the metropolis are diverse,” added the head of homelessness on the executive committee of the City of Montreal, Josefina Blanco. The inauguration of this shelter comes shortly after the creation, earlier this winter, of a shelter for the homeless natives, which was set up in premises located on Sainte-Catherine Street West, near the Cabot Square. “We must be able to continue to meet the needs of the various people who are at risk or who are already homeless on a permanent basis,” insisted Ms.me White.