Ahuntsic residents express concerns about new homeless shelter near daycare

A new homeless shelter opening near a daycare in a residential area of Ahuntsic-Cartierville has residents concerned about their safety.

“I have four grandkids and now I'm afraid of bringing them to the park,” resident Joanne Hirtle said in an interview.

The building on Bois-de-Boulogne Avenue, which was a formerly a palliative care home, is set to accommodate up to 50 people, according to the City of Montreal.

The homeless shelter is set to open next month.

“[It’s] stressful. I can't explain,” Mohamed Lamouii said.

Rachel Rakhi is one of hundreds of residents opposed to the project. “Everybody says that we feel for those people, but this is not the right place,” she explained.

The building is also next to a residence for nuns and a CLSC.

“They have baggage. They have mental health issues. They have addiction problems. They have alcoholism,” Rakhi said.

The city was not available for an interview but in a statement emailed to CTV News it said, “the critical shortage of places for people experiencing homelessness calls for the opening of new resources.

“We need to distribute resources throughout the territory to ensure a better mix, but this must be done in the right way, taking into account the needs and concerns of the population."

But people who live in the area say there were no public consultations. The city held an information session on July 3 but residents said they feel officials did not take their concerns seriously.

"They're not listening to us. And you know what? They don't even care. They are completely out of touch of the reality of the neighbourhood,” Rakhi said.

Welcome Hall Mission CEO Sam Watts says that just because a building is empty it doesn't mean it's the best location for a shelter.

“These resources are necessary, and they're necessary in a variety of neighbourhoods," he said. "Was this particular resource well thought through? I doubt it."