The City of Montreal is once again showing that it remains rooted in the status quo rather than thinking outside the box and thinking differently about homelessness. The repression of homeless people is nothing new, but we can only see that the situation is far from improving.
Posted yesterday at 1:00 p.m.
As Montreal advertises itself as an inclusive city, the social development of the Ville-Marie district has decided to promote a homelessness liaison officer position. So far, everything is going well, nothing to report and this even leads the citizens of the neighborhood to believe that this is a remarkable initiative for the good of all.
However, when we go further in the description, it is a position to coordinate the actions to be taken during evictions or dismantling of temporary shelters, camps and tents on public and private property. It could not be clearer, this is a post to coordinate repression. Montreal could have chosen to open a position to coordinate the well-being of people living in shelters, tents or camps, but instead, the City has once again opted for non-tolerance.
It’s hard to mince words when we still have to take the time to defend the rights of homeless people in the face of the actions of the municipal administration instead of multiplying concrete actions to support them in their life context. The housing crisis no longer needs to be demonstrated, few truly affordable housing units are available in Montreal. We also know that beds are lacking in shelters and that many people simply cannot find their place in the available resources: there is a lack of adapted and diversified responses to adequately meet the needs of homeless people.
We note that there seems to be a gap between the position of the municipal administration and the real homelessness issues experienced on the ground and the rights of people who live on the street. Indeed, the dismantling harms the stability and autonomy of people and endangers the lives of humans.
It’s not just tents that we dismantle, but people that we move by reminding them that they have nowhere to go. The homelessness emergency response is not currently adapted, and it is high time that the situation be remedied. Several cities have implemented initiatives that meet the needs of people who find themselves living on the street.
Take for example Granby, which opened a park to provide stability for people who live on the street and thus support them on a daily basis to ensure some security for their lives and their health. Take Halifax, which has done the same, or Sherbrooke and Gatineau, which periodically clean the camps rather than dismantle them… Why doesn’t Montreal innovate when you know that more than 80% of the homeless population in Quebec who is there?
We must act quickly to end the repression and thus put in place initiatives to promote the real well-being of people on the streets. It is nonsense not to tolerate encampments and not to consider the street as a habitat when there is no alternative. Takedowns are repressive practices that only disperse people away from their natural networks, further isolating them and putting them at greater risk of overdoses or violence in our communities. He is recognized by Mr.me Marie-Josée Houle of the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate in her latest housing report that people are facing a situation where their rights are being violated. Let us act now so that they have the necessary conditions to ensure their dignity, their autonomy and their security.
*Caroline Leblnc also conducts FACE research, which focuses on the reality of people who live on the street.
Also co-signed this text: Catherine Marcoux, community organizer, Support Network for Alone and Homeless People of Montreal (RAPSIM) and Jade Bourdages, Professor, School of Social Work, University of Quebec in Montreal.