Montreal City Councillors Propose Motion to Declare State of Emergency on Homelessness
MONTREAL – In a bold move to address the pressing issue of homelessness, a pair of independent Montreal city councillors have put forth a motion to urge the city to declare a state of emergency on homelessness in the upcoming week.
The proposed motion aims to implement several crucial measures, including the requisitioning of private accommodation spaces to provide shelter for the unhoused population before the harsh winter conditions set in, as well as increasing resources allocated to existing shelters.
Craig Sauvé, a key proponent of the motion, emphasizes the urgent need for Montreal to take decisive action to safeguard the lives of the city’s escalating homeless community, especially at a time when shelters are struggling to meet the needs of the unhoused individuals.
Resilience Montreal, a community organization actively involved in supporting the homeless, asserts that a state of emergency declaration has the potential to bolster homeless shelters in extending their capacity and, ultimately, preventing deaths due to exposure to the extreme cold.
While a spokesperson for the City of Montreal suggests that alternative approaches may be more effective in tackling the homelessness crisis, such as the construction of additional modular housing units, the motion to declare a state of emergency reflects a sense of urgency in addressing this critical issue.
If adopted, Montreal would stand alongside a growing cohort of cities across Canada that have taken similar actions in recent years, including Toronto, Edmonton, and Hamilton, Ontario, signaling a collective commitment to combatting homelessness on a national level.