Montreal is stepping up its measurers to help homeless people cope with the coronavirus.
They include opening five outdoor day centres, expanding shelter room for men and women, and adding temporary public toilets.
“We’re working with our partners to ensure the homeless have access to facilities that allow them to practise good hygiene while respecting the protocol established to deal with the virus,” said Rosannie Filato, the Montreal executive committee member responsible for public safety.
The first two day centres opened this weekend at Cabot Square and Place Émilie-Gamelin. Three others will open shortly.
Filato said it was important to get these centres opened because indoor day centres had to shut down to respect the ban on large gatherings.
“We had to find room outdoors, which allowed us to serve this vulnerable population, but also offered enough space that we could respect social distancing,” Filato said. “There will be facilities to wash and the homeless will be able to something good to eat. People will be able to get information about the virus and what they can do to protect themselves.”
The city’s health department will manage the Cabot Square centre along with Resilience Montreal, which has experience dealing with homeless people, particularly among the Indigenous population. There’s also help from the province, community organizations and volunteers. The Red Cross was on hand to help get things rolling during the weekend. Filato said the five centres will be able to accommodate 1,000 people on a daily basis.
The former Royal Victoria Hospital site on Pins Ave. has been used as an emergency shelter, but it will now be reserved for patients who require isolation. There is a shelter for women at the YMCA on Stanley St. and for men at Complexe Guy-Favreau. The city’s website says new locations will be available soon.
The city is also installing 24 portable washrooms, mostly in the downtown area.
“This is important because many of these people relied on restaurants that are now closed,” Filato said.
The city ramped up its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus when Mayor Valérie Plante declared a health emergency on Friday. Among the new regulations are a ban on dogs in city parks and a limit on joggers who are required to stay within one kilometre of their homes.
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