Construction starts on Lachine housing project to help homeless population

Construction has started on a new housing project aimed at helping Montreal's homeless population find their footing.

The undertaking was made possible after the Tenaquip Foundation donated $5 million to construct the 18-unit building in Montreal's Lachine borough.

It's a project that has been in the works for three years.

The foundation has been a long-time supporter of the Mission, but said it wanted to find a more permanent way to help the city's homeless population.

Together with James Hughes, president and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission, they searched for properties around the city before landing on a dilapidated building on the corner of 6e Avenue and William-Macdonald Street.

Lachine borough officials approved the project, with the Old Brewery Mission in charge of managing services.

The goal is to connect those facing homelessness to anything they may need to get back on their feet.

"Housing is so complicated. We know we're in a housing crisis, so it's difficult to find really affordable rooms or units across the city," said Hughes. "The average stay for people in our units is a year or two. Over the course of a decade, we're going to be helping over 100 people in that facility to get out and stay out of homelessness."

Hughes acknowledges this is one of the largest donations the Mission has ever received, adding there needs to be more collaboration between the non-profit and private sectors to solve Montreal's housing crisis.

If all goes according to plan, the building should be ready by the fall.

It's an example of what can happen when the private sector joins forces with non-profits, according to Hughes.

"This is really a life-saving gesture that the Tenaquip Foundation is making for hundreds of people in the long term. We want that message to go out to Montrealers. We need more housing than these 18 units, we need 180," he said.

"There are 4,700 people homeless, minimum, tonight in Montreal. So this is exemplary in terms of a gesture but we need to do way more so our city sees less homelessness in the future."