COVID-19 Outbreaks: Montreal Homeless Advocates Warn of Potential Humanitarian Crisis – Montreal | The Canadian News

Five homeless shelters in Montreal are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks and that is limiting their ability to receive people.

As winter approaches, advocates warn that if officials don’t take action soon, the city could be on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.

“In fact, we can typically accommodate about 140 people very comfortably with all the distancing protocols in place, but given some of the latest outbreaks that have occurred from mid-October to now, we’ve been in the area of ​​around 80 people,” Said Sam Watts, CEO of Welcome Hall Mission.

According to Montreal Public Health, since October, there have been 79 cases of COVID-19 among the homeless population and nine workers have been infected.

There are currently four outbreaks in five different shelters.

“The upshot of that is that if everyone is in the same situation, we are creating the possibility of a humanitarian crisis on the streets of Montreal,” Watts warned.

Watts says that so far, various shelters in the city have been coordinating their response to the outbreaks and referring people to each other.

But with more infections and shelters affected, that can no longer be done.

“Now, we are in a kind of imperfect storm where everyone is in the same situation,” Watts said.

Advocates for the homeless say they need help, like more emergency shelters.

“The homeless problem, especially in the Milton, Cabot Square area, is skyrocketing,” said Nakuset, executive director of the Native Women’s Shelter.

“If something doesn’t happen soon, if no further action is taken, there will be a tragedy.”

James Hughes, Old Brewery Mission CEO and CEO, wants the province to step in with additional hostels 24/7, like the one that opened this summer on the site of the former Hotel Dieu hospital.

“That was real progress. The Hotel Dieu model is working and we have been advocating for another Hotel Dieu type facility to add additional capacity, but so far we have not seen any such announcements, ”Hughes said.

Hughes says the Hotel Dieu 24/7 model allows intervention workers and housing specialists to follow and help clients find permanent housing for themselves.

“It’s a place where people can come and really settle down and they’re not forced to go away and wander during the day,” Hughes said.

The city of Montreal says it is coordinating efforts with public health.

“As part of its winter measures, the city of Montreal provides logistical support, in particular with finding and organizing locations. [to add more space]”Wrote Guillaume Rivest, spokesman for the city of Montreal.

The local health authority, CIUSSS Center-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, says it is working to add 323 more beds for the months of November and December, bringing the total to 1,550.

It will also add more warming stations throughout the city and have an emergency shelter on standby if needed.

Watts, however, regrets that things are being put off until the last minute and would like more permanent measures to be put in place.

“It’s too bad it wasn’t done in the summer,” Watts said. “I have been in this position for five years, so five times in a row we were very late to the game with the need to do something emergency.”