In January 2022, Quebec being swept by a cold wave, Mike Ward offered 25 tiny houses to house homeless people in Montreal. Valérie Plante declined the comedian’s generous offer, which caused a lot of talk. These wooden houses made their way to Drummondville and Victoriaville. What happened to them?
It was the Ensoleilvent organization which received the 25 tiny houses in 2022. Insulated, but unheated, these cabins measuring 1.20 m by 2.40 m allow homeless people to protect themselves from the cold and bad weather. However, five of them were damaged during transport.
Acting Managing Director of Ensoleilvent, François Gosselin recalls that at the time, health measures linked to the pandemic had halved the capacity of homeless shelters. Five of these tiny houses were installed that year in Drummondville. But the following year, when the organization was able to open a warmth center, the needs for tiny houses were reduced, explains Mr. Gosselin.
Only two are still used in Drummondville. “We really don’t use them much,” admits François Gosselin. “I would tell you that we use it more for people who have animals. » For its part, Victoriaville still has two tiny houses which are operating “at full capacity”, because the local accommodation resource only has nine places.
“It is one tool among many to manage the homelessness crisis. So much the better if, less and less, we have to use them. This means that we invest more in community support and that people have more options for housing. » On the other hand, around ten houses received in 2022 did not survive. Mold attacked them while they were in storage.
In 2022, Valérie Plante refused the tiny houses offered by Mike Ward. Was she right? “I am completely convinced that she made the right decision. It would have been unmanageable,” maintains François Gosselin. “People would have consumed [de la drogue]. We already have significant problems with opiates at the moment. It would have been coffins. It’s my opinion. »