Homelessness is a systemic issue that spans across Canada and the world. Like the rest of Canada, homelessness has continued to rise in Quebec. In 2023, a report found that homelessness had increased by 44 per cent since 2018, with Montréal being the most affected. People are unhoused due to a variety of reasons, many of which are out of their control, such as abusive partners, financial challenges, or heritage.
Indigenous households are three times as likely to have experienced some form of homelessness when compared with the total population. As reported by The McGill Daily, while Indigenous people only make up 0.6 per cent of Montréal’s population, they make up 12 per cent of the visibly unhoused people in the city. This overrepresentation in Montréal’s unhoused population is a direct result of the perpetual displacement and marginalization of Indigenous people by the Canadian government. Despite being a reason behind the high number of unhoused Indigenous people, the government’s actions have been insufficient in quelling this crisis.
The government has dedicated millions of dollars to help all unhoused people in Montréal during both the winter and summer months. Most recently, the Québec government secured nearly 50 million dollars to aid homelessness in the province. Still, these efforts aren’t being reflected in the day-to-day experience of many unhoused people here. A report from the Québec government in 2022 found that there were approximately 4,690 visibly unhoused people in Montréal. However, it is almost certain that this number has risen since then. Seemingly contradictory to their financial efforts, agencies of the Québec government, such as the Transport Ministry, have been brutally dismantling encampments of unhoused people across Montréal throughout the winter. When encampments are disassembled, there is often a large police presence, creating an environment that is deeply distressing. A bystander who witnessed a particular dismantling near Atwater Market reported seeing authorities “rip tents out of people’s hands.” Encampments have been disassembled across Montréal with a complete disregard for occupants’ wellbeing by the same government that claims they are “committed to ending homelessness.” In addition, many people who become displaced by the dismantling of the encampments are left without a place to go, since many shelters are fully occupied.
Despite limited resources, local shelters in Montréal have continued to aid unhoused people as best they can. Shelters like CAP St-Barnabé struggle to accommodate the large number of unhoused people who need somewhere warm and safe to stay during the cold winter months. During the coldest time of year, being unhoused is even more dangerous. Since temperatures aren’t expected to rise until March, it’s imperative that we aid unhoused people as much as we can. With the Arctic blast this past week, it puts unhoused people who have to be outside for extended periods of time at risk for conditions like hypothermia or frostbite. Just this past December, a man passed away outside in the cold, a death which Mayor Plante cited as “avoidable.” However, though the death of this man and many other people experiencing homelessness this winter are avoidable, they are not being prevented. With many shelters constantly operating at full capacity, it means that many people do not have access to a safe, warm place to sleep.
Despite government and community efforts to combat homelessness, if attitudes around homelessness don’t change, we will continue to turn our heads while our fellow community members suffer. Though the visible nature of homelessness can lead us to believe that it’s caused by the individual, it’s important that we examine the wider systems in place. Taking a people-first approach is a necessary step to changing the way that we talk about those who are unhoused. This approach encourages us to be mindful of the language used when discussing homelessness to make it more inclusive, positive, and empowering. As our language changes, our mindset and actions will follow. Evidence of our collective mindset about homelessness is shown by the lack of accurate figures available for unhoused people in Montréal and across Canada. Furthermore, there is also a lack of coverage around the deaths of unhoused people, which are only investigated if they “occur under violent or obscure circumstances.”
Homelessness in Montréal and Canada is a result of many different failing systems. Even if we don’t have the ability to change laws, we can still support organizations and shelters that work towards uplifting those vulnerable in our communities, and educate ourselves. If you want to get involved, consider volunteering or donating to organizations like Resilience Montréal, Dans la Rue, Mission Old Brewery, Angels of Mercy, Chez Doris, and CAP St-Baranbé. If you want to know more about homelessness in Montréal and beyond, The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness has many different initiatives, such as The Homeless Hub, which has a database of studies and statistics, while The Homelessness Learning Hub provides free courses that train and educate about homelessness in Canada. It’s extremely important not to underestimate how much change you can make as an individual.