As the start of the school year approaches, Montreal is requesting the relocation of day services for the homeless from the Maison Benoît Labre, located a stone’s throw from an elementary school, which makes cohabitation difficult.
In addition, the City is also considering installing modular shelters to house people experiencing homelessness, due to the lack of places in shelters and the increase in the number of encampments in several neighborhoods.
Clearly, the problems of cohabitation between citizens and homeless people or drug users seem to concern Montreal municipal elected officials.
On Monday evening, at the municipal council, several questions from the public concerned these issues.
Anthony Capanelli, a neighbor of the Maison Benoît Labre, whose installation a few months ago near the Victor-Rousselot school in the Saint-Henri district led to an explosion of incivility in the neighborhood, came to ask the elected officials if they had any solutions to allow citizens and schoolchildren to find some peace and quiet.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The mayor of the South-West district, Benoit Dorais
I had discussions with Minister Lionel Carmant [responsable des Services sociaux]to ask him to move the day centre services to another more suitable location.
Benoit Dorais, Mayor of the South-West District
Maison Benoît Labre offers a day centre open at all times for homeless people as well as two cubicles for drug use.
Benoit Dorais did not, however, request the relocation of the premises allowing supervised drug consumption, it was specified.
Above these premises, 36 studios provide a roof to formerly homeless people struggling with addiction and mental health issues. The accommodations would not be affected by a possible move.
The presence of this clientele near a primary school, a park and a residential area has led to a series of incidents which have caused concern among the centre’s neighbours.
Read the column “Crack, nudity and assault with a stick: the chaotic first months of Benoît Labre”
Benoit Dorais acknowledged that the residents’ fears were well-founded, despite the implementation of various measures to try to improve cleanliness and cohabitation.
Modular shelters
On another issue that concerns the population – homeless camps – the person responsible for the file on the executive committee, Robert Beaudry, revealed that the City is considering installing modular shelters to accommodate homeless people, since the shelters rarely have spaces available.
“Several cities are thinking about modular, for example. [comme solution de logement temporaire]”The City of Montreal is also thinking about it,” said Mr. Beaudry.
We want to see if we are able to quickly develop such facilities, on land that is to receive social housing eventually. But in the meantime, we could set up modular facilities there that are safe.
Robert Beaudry, responsible for the file at the executive committee
Robert Beaudry was responding to a question from Guillaume Groleau, a participant in the camp set up in July near the Jacques-Cartier Bridge to protest the City of Montreal’s policy of dismantling camps.
“The encampments are a legitimate means of survival,” Groleau said. “Why dismantle them in a context of housing crisis, when shelters are overflowing and evictions are on the rise?”
Read the file “Those ousted from the street”
The opposition taken to task
Earlier, Robert Beaudry accused opposition municipal officials of harming the City of Montreal’s efforts to house the homeless, by encouraging citizens to fight the arrival of such facilities in their neighbourhood.
At stake: the recent failure to open a shelter in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, after a neighbourhood outcry. The current owner of the targeted building ultimately refused to sell to the City of Montreal.
“We worked on social acceptability, while the opposition worked to mobilize the population against a project that could have been integrated very well,” asserted Mr. Beaudry, visibly angry. “We were ready to take the time, we were ready – in the current homelessness crisis situation – to put the resources in place to have an integrated project, while the opposition worked against this type of project.”
“Our commitment to Montrealers who are suffering, who are on the streets, is to find quick and effective solutions to give them a roof over their heads,” he continued, calling on his counterparts to “look in the mirror.”
Mr. Beaudry was questioned by opposition MEP Benoit Langevin. “They do just that, blame others on the homelessness issue. It’s never their fault, they have no responsibility,” denounced Mr. Langevin. “The Plante administration sows chaos wherever it decides to open shelters near schools and early childhood centres.” [CPE] without taking into account the impacts.”
Rectification
An initial version of the text indicated that the city had requested the relocation of all day services, including supervised injection services. However, city officials clarified that the supervised injection centre was not affected by the relocation request.