Karina Gauthier started injecting cocaine four years ago. His life has changed. One thing leading to another, this mother of three found herself on the street. She hit rock bottom. Then with help, she stopped using. But she needed an extra boost to regain full control of her life.
She got that pat on the back at the Old Brewery Mission, which has been helping homeless people in Montreal for more than a century. The organization has just inaugurated 12 newly renovated studios in the Centre-Sud – a district that embodies the concept of social diversity, where the “poqué” world rubs shoulders with middle-class residents.
Karina Gauthier feels like she has won the lottery: she has recently been living in one of these 12 cozy one-and-a-half-room apartments, all clean, fully equipped. Thanks to financial assistance from Quebec, Ottawa and the City of Montreal, residents will pay 25% of their income for housing.
“I’m really lucky to be here. It’s beautiful, it’s new, it’s quiet. I’ve always dreamed of having a wood floor like this in the kitchen. And have you seen the big bath? I am overwhelmed,” says Karina Gauthier as she shows us around her studio. Daylight enters through a large window overlooking the alley.
The building is located on Avenue Lartigue, an artery of barely a hundred meters between Rue Logan and Boulevard De Maisonneuve. Some might find the place creepy, but the alley has a certain charm. Even the small park located next to the building that houses the 12 “Voisines de Lartigue” (that’s the name of the project) has been completely redesigned. In summer, this garden is an oasis of peace. The 12 studios also become a haven for these vulnerable women.
Immense needs
These $3 million social housing units ($1.7 million for the building and $1.3 million for the renovations) were inaugurated Friday morning by representatives of the City, the federal and provincial governments, and the Old Brewery Mission. They welcomed this effort to help destitute women to get out of poverty in the midst of a housing crisis and the explosion in the cost of living.
“The pandemic, record inflation and housing shortages have exacerbated homelessness,” summarized James Hughes, President and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission. The phenomenon goes beyond the center of Montreal and reaches Gatineau, Quebec, Sherbrooke and many other Quebec cities.
The needs for social housing are immense. James Hughes recalls that approximately 4,000 homeless people are on the streets of Montreal at any given time. The most recent count of homeless people, conducted last October, will provide a more up-to-date portrait of homelessness.
“The solution is known to prevent homelessness and overcome it: we need housing, housing and housing”, insists James Hughes.
The Old Brewery Mission purchased four additional properties in 2021 and 2022. These new acquisitions add nearly 70 housing units to the organization’s existing portfolio of 332 units.
“Projects like this need more. We have no choice, we have to do it,” said Benoit Dorais, vice-president of the city’s executive committee, responsible for housing.
A springboard
A total of 19 projects, representing more than 370 units, are planned thanks to a contribution of $103 million from Ottawa and support from the Government of Quebec and the City of Montreal. The federal deputy for Hochelaga, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, and the Quebec Minister of Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, assured that they are collaborating with the City.
In her small studio on Lartigue Lane, Karina Gauthier relishes her newfound independence thanks to the Old Brewery Mission and other community organizations. Workers from the Patricia Mackenzie Pavilion, an emergency center located next door, are ready to help the 12 women.
“Things are going well for our residents. They appreciate having quiet and safe housing,” says Shirley Jeudy, intervention counsellor.
These subsidized apartments offer “a stepping stone” to women seeking a normal life. The stay is limited to approximately two years. Karina Gauthier plans to take advantage of this to find a job — a reintegration program allows her to gain experience in a day center for vulnerable people located in the area. After three years of abstinence, therapy and working on herself, she begins to learn about the world of counseling.