A permanent shelter for the homeless natives, demanded for a long time in the Milton-Parc sector, is not yet on the way to materializing, despite the urgency of the situation, deplores the ombudsman of Montreal.
” The shelter [de Projets autochtones du Québec] PAQ2, which is the keystone and which has existed since January 2022, is crucial for the community, but its funding is not guaranteed after March 31, 2023″, underlines the ombudsman, Nadine Mailloux, who was sorry on Wednesday that no location has yet been identified for the establishment of this permanent resource.
Although the financing of this shelter comes from Quebec and Ottawa, recognizes Me Mailloux, the City can act as a “vector of change and bring its partners out of inertia, whether to start up or secure an accommodation resource or a multi-service or community and cultural centre,” she says.
But the project comes up against the lack of premises in the targeted district, explains Heather Johnston, director of PAQ.
We’ve been looking for months [un local]and we are very well supported by the City, but we are targeting a small territory and we have very specific needs.
Heather Johnston, Director of PAQ
On the Quebec side, the office of the minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant, indicates that the funding “will be there” when a suitable place has been found.
“Humanitarian crisis”
The exit of the Montreal ombudsman follows the report she published last spring, entitled Don’t look away, about homelessness among First Nations and Inuit in the Milton-Parc district. She described “a real humanitarian crisis” and “intolerable human distress”, which in particular causes problems of cohabitation with the residents of the district.
The report made five recommendations. Me Mailloux is pleased to see that two of them are in the process of being implemented (flexibility in urban planning regulations and citizen participation) and that another is fully implemented (funding of non-profit organizations).
But there is still nothing concrete in terms of homelessness accommodation and prevention, she notes, after learning about the progress of the actions of the City of Montreal.
Nadine Mailloux recalls that 12% of homeless people in Montreal are Aboriginal, while they represent only 0.6% of the population.
A quarter of Aboriginal homeless people are Inuit, yet they make up only 5% of the Aboriginal population.
Prevention
It is necessary for these people to have access to a shelter adapted to their needs. In addition, the ombudsman points out that a community and cultural center could make it possible to do prevention, to prevent Inuit who stay in Montreal, after having received care or for other reasons, from ending up on the street.
The PAQ2 temporary shelter occupies the Hôtel des Arts, requisitioned by the City of Montreal last year thanks to its powers under the state of emergency. Located near the intersection of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Ontario Street, it is a “high-tolerance” shelter, meaning that its users can consume alcohol and cannabis without be expelled.
Mayor Valérie Plante’s office points out that the temporary shelter seems to adequately meet the needs of homeless Aboriginal and Inuit people, but recognizes that a lasting solution is needed. “This is what we are working hard on to mobilize our partners in the health network and the government to make everything possible,” says press officer Marikym Gaudreault.
In Quebec, it is assured that the ministers Lionel Carmant as well as Ian Lafrenière, responsible for Relations with the First Nations and the Inuit, are ready to loosen the purse strings to finance a permanent refuge. “Our vision of homelessness is to have 24/7 shelters funded 12 months a year and that is what the PAQ2 project is aiming for. This very week, during a meeting with Dominique Ollivier [présidente du comité exécutif de Montréal]the Dr Carmant was able to reiterate the importance of having an alternative to house the organism,” said Mr. Carmant’s office in a written response.