Cote-des-Neiges residents, homeless looking for solutions to growing unhoused population

There are a growing number of homeless people sleeping in public parks and in Montreal's Cote-des-Neiges neighbourhood, the situation is getting worse.

Residents there are starting to wonder why the neighbourhood still doesn't have a shelter.

Ester Husbands is one of those who has been sleeping under an awning in Martin Luther King Park for almost seven years.

"This is it," she said. "This is home sweet home as we say."

Husbands is one of five people who sleep in the spot on most nights, but she said there are around 50 unhoused people living in the area.

"They're just sleeping all over the place," said Husbands. "People sleeping outside of the office building outside, even just laying on the cement ground there, just anywhere that they can find shelter anywhere and keep warm. It's not very good."

She said they get their meals from the MultiCaf food bank across the street from the park.

Apart from the food bank, the densely populated part of the city has few services for the homeless.

"As far as being inside from the cold and the wet, there is nothing," said Husbands.

Ensemble Montreal city councillor Stephanie Valenzuela represents the Darlington district and said the borough administration has not moved fast enough on a solution.

"Come up with a plan," said the opposition councillor. "Present it to to the provincial government in order for us to have a 24-hour seven-day refuge somewhere that is not close to schools, that is not close to daycares, that would have a proper plan in terms of security, in terms of communication with the residents."

In early August, frustrated residents sent a letter to Cote-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace borough mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, demanding that she take the issue more seriously.

"It is unfortunately evident that you seem unable to address or resolve these issues. Your apparent lack of initiative in this matter is highly disappointing," the letter to the Projet Montreal borough mayor reads.

Katahwa said the city is in the process of finding a space and an organization to run a shelter, and, in the meantime, is working on cohabitation.

"This park with permit organization where we tolerate, for example, that, some people stay in the park for the night, but really early in the morning, multiple [people] go and see them and ask them to remove their belongings," said Katahwa. "They keep it for them, but we agree that the park needs to be used by everyone."

For Husbands, she understands why neighbours are frustrated.

"Well, of course, I can understand," she said. "I mean, you know, seeing this year after year, but it's up to the mayor to do something or else we have no choice but to be here. Where else are we going to be?"