In our rich and advanced societies, homeless men and women have become the lepers of modern times. Impossible to put it any other way.
• Read also: If your “personal hygiene is uncomfortable”, get out!
More and more people, without the services and the home they need, the homeless gather in public places. Street corners. Parks. Store entrances closed. Shopping centers. Metro stations. Libraries. Etc.
As the sight of them becomes customary, we inevitably end up becoming desensitized to their plight. Across the regions of Quebec, there are now more than 10,000, including more than 3,000 women. Never seen.
It is therefore clear that the political and health authorities have lost control of the situation. The increase in homeless people during the pandemic was already striking everyone’s eyes.
Crazy inflation and the housing crisis, which the same authorities also ignored, did the rest. In Quebec and elsewhere. Result: a worrying rise in human misery in our streets and alleys.
In her parallel world, Mayor Valérie Plante implores Montrealers to learn to “cohabit” with the homeless. At first glance, the sentiment appears to be laudable.
In fact, it smacks more of the acceptance of a fait accompli. In a society of abundance like ours, it should mobilize all the authorities to try to put an end to it within a reasonable time.
Chase away this smell that I can’t breathe
At the same time, some districts of the metropolis, including that of Valérie Plante, could have users expelled from public libraries if they are judged to have a body odor that is too bothersome for staff or other users.
Fines of $350 to $1,000 would also be possible. Who was the genius who thought of imposing hefty fines on penniless people?
As if they were lepers, so we could kick out people who smell bad because they are homeless, have mental health problems or other conditions.
Facing criticism, on the old Twitter, the mayor said that the regulation will be reformulated, but not abolished. Ah good.
In short, on the one hand, she asks Montrealers to “cohabit” with homeless people and on the other, considers it conceivable that they could be expelled from certain public places. Find the mistake.
In an interview with TVA, Samuel Watts, director of the Welcome Mission, put his finger on the real problem: “Every time we invest energy in getting around people, we don’t end up in the good direction. What we should do, really, is invest energy in sustainable solutions for vulnerable people.”
Sustainable solutions
Sustainable solutions to combat homelessness in the long term? Eh yes. As for “obnoxious body odor” in public libraries, that is actually the tree that hides the forest of increasing homelessness.
For this very specific situation, more humane solutions are possible.
In Toronto, for example, a community organization called The Personal Care Bank is installing metal cabinets across the city and in front of some public libraries.
There you can find free, new personal hygiene products 24/7 for men and women in need. Citizens who can afford it are also invited to bring some to their offices.
Based on the same principle as outdoor community fridges, this program makes libraries more welcoming to homeless people. Instead of chasing them away, we respect their dignity.
It goes to show that since certain body odors would be a problem in public libraries, there are more respectful ways to go about it than treating the homeless like common lepers.