Montreal homeless residence gets $1 million makeover

The newly renovated Nazareth Community reopened its main house after a year and $1 million investment.

The community is a non-profit organization in the Ville-Marie borough that provides housing and support for people who struggle with mental wellness and would otherwise likely be on the street.

The costly renovations are expensive but executive director Sheila Woodhouse said it's much less costly than offering only emergency services to people experiencing homelessness in the city.

"The average for Montreal is about $50,000-$60,000 a year for somebody living on the streets," she said. "Here is $15,000 a year, and, actually, with the city, it can go up to $300,000, so we are the economic path that we should be choosing for people that need housing with support."

The support includes healthy meals.

Cooking in a small kitchen was a challenge for kitchen coordinator Steve Townsend. The renovated kitchen has a six-burner stove and dishwasher.

"The space is the biggest part because, I mean, cooking for 60 people, I've done this my whole life, but having the space to put everything out to do it is what I need," said Townsend.

Nazareth has offered these services since 1979 and announced its rebranded name as The Hadley Foundation in honour of founder Denis Hadley.

The organization is non-denominational and committed to being a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone with the mantra "Homes not Shelters."

"Mental illness does not discriminate, language, gender, nationality," said Woodhouse. "One in four people, every family is touched by a mental health issue, so this is our model."