The former Rustik motel, now Kwé 55, has changed the dynamic in Greater Châteauguay on the issue of housing insecurity. The 31 studio apartments fill a need. But they are not the definitive answer to homelessness in the region. Resources to help people temporarily in the short term would bridge a gap.
Translation Amanda Bennett
In La Prairie, there is Avant-Toît, a shelter for people who are homeless. In Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, a drop-in centre and a shelter are available, but geographically speaking, there are no such facilities in between. The Table de concertation en itinérance du Roussillon has identified a need for an emergency shelter or rest area,” explained Martin Bécotte, Project Manager for Unir et bâtir at the Fédération égionale des OSBL d’habitation de la Montéégie et l’Estrie. There seems to be political resolve to respond to this emergency.
Available Funding
He knows that $1.5 million must be spent by March 31 to increase the supply of emergency housing during the winter in Montéégie. However, there is a “but” in capital letters. “We haven’t applied because I don’t see how I could rent premises and find staff for two and a half months,” added the Project Manager. The Centre intégré en santé et services sociaux de la Montéégie-Ouest received an e-mail from the federal government on December 22, inviting it to submit projects for funding. The deadline was January 10. “An announcement on the subject will be made in the next few weeks,” confirmed Véronique Blais from the Communications and Public Affairs Department.
A Way to Get Off the Street
Kwé 55 offers permanent accommodation to people in precarious situations. When it opened last summer, there were six people living on the street. There were also others for whom this seemed an inevitable option, and some who were living in shelters. All 31 units are occupied. There are some twenty names on the waiting list. A number of people are reported to have slept in their vehicles for a few nights, either on Île Saint-Bernard or in the Walmart parking lot. The Tempo in a community garden and wooded areas were used as makeshift shelters. There are no known encampments here,” says Érika Grondin of the Châteauguay Police Service. We’ve already intervened on one or two occasions. We’ve asked people to be careful with their rubbish.
The police act with a degree of tolerance when the situation calls for it.