Valérie Plante announced Tuesday morning the establishment of a vast consultation led by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) on homelessness in Montreal. The City wants to survey Montrealers on their concerns and obtain proposals to address the homelessness crisis. She hopes that this consultation will allow for the effective implementation of new resources.
Once concentrated in Montreal’s central neighbourhoods, homelessness is now spreading to outlying boroughs, making it necessary to implement new services in areas that are not used to this reality. This is demonstrated by the count of people experiencing homelessness carried out in October 2022 by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS).
For several years, the City has seen an increase in reports and complaints from citizens regarding the implementation of services. To enable better social acceptability, the OCPM will consult citizens from the various boroughs, but also intends to hear the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
Perfect Storm
Nearly 5,000 people are currently homeless in Montreal, 800 of whom are unsheltered, according to the 2022 count. Although homelessness is mainly concentrated among men under the age of 50, it is increasing compared to 2018 among women, people from gender diverse backgrounds and people over the age of 50.
The current situation is described as a “perfect storm” by the MSSS report. The housing crisis, inflation and the opioid crisis are major contributors to the situation that Montreal has been experiencing for several years. According to the MSSS report, nearly 44% of the people counted found themselves homeless due to unpaid rent, 19% following an eviction and 5% due to a repossession of their home by their landlord.
Further details will follow.
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