{"id":40269,"date":"2022-01-18T14:02:56","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T19:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/?p=40269"},"modified":"2022-05-17T15:23:14","modified_gmt":"2022-05-17T19:23:14","slug":"homelessness-in-a-perfect-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/blog\/homelessness-in-a-perfect-storm\/","title":{"rendered":"Homelessness in a perfect storm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

People experiencing homelessness are being hit hard by the 5th<\/sup> COVID wave sweeping through Greater Montreal due to the Omicron variant. Workers on the ground estimate there were at least 500 positive cases at shelters in the first two weeks of January alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City of Montreal requisitioned the H\u00f4tel Chrome in downtown Montreal and the Stade de soccer de Montr\u00e9al in Villeray\u2013Saint-Michel\u2013Parc-Extension to house homeless people who test positive for COVID. Both facilities have 470 beds in a protected area to limit the spread of the virus in shelters. This is in addition to over 1,000 more beds set up to cope with the deep cold snaps of January and February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter weather, the pandemic, and a significant increase in the homeless population combined with a labour shortage, a lack of housing, and a deterioration in the mental health of people in a situation of homelessness means this community is experiencing a \u201cperfect storm\u201d that must be faced by multiple partners. Thanks to its knowledge of homelessness issues, Centraide is one partner adding its voice to help address these problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Twice as many people experiencing homelessness<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since the start of the pandemic, the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased. Quick visits to Milton Park in the Plateau or even to the Old Port are enough to see how urgent things are, and that’s not counting areas near downtown where homelessness is on the rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Villeray, the new Refuge du c\u0153ur de l’\u00eele, managed by PACT de rue,<\/strong><\/a> has been full since it opened in November. Every day, this shelter in Montreal’s north end takes in fifty people in an area where homelessness was almost invisible not too long ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same phenomenon has been observed in the West Island and Le Sud-Ouest, as well as in Longueuil and Laval, where staff at shelters and warming centres are in short supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workers in the field estimate that the number of homeless people in Montreal alone has doubled from 3,000 to 6,000 in the past two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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