'Nowhere to go': Advocates weary as Montreal seeks worker to help clear homeless encampments
Advocates are sounding the alarm after Montreal published a job posting for a liaison officer charged with evicting unhoused people from downtown encampments.
According to the job description posted earlier this month, said officer is required to "intervene with people experiencing homelessness living in shelters, tents or encampments on public or private property in order to get them to leave."
The officer, who must have a degree in social work, criminology or a similar field, is instructed to then refer those displaced to "agencies that provide support to vulnerable people."
For unhoused people like Edgar Schubert, who has been living out of a shelter for over two years, the posting is bad news.
He says not everyone is lucky enough to get a spot in a shelter, and a safe place to live can be hard to come by.
"I found a tent in the garbage can over there and I gave it to a friend," he said.
"There just aren't enough places."
The city is short about 300 emergency housing units, and shelter workers say accommodations are packed full.
"All this simply does is push them into more forested areas or abandoned buildings where people don't know that they're there," said David Chapman, director of shelter Resilience Montreal.
He said clearing homeless encampments poses a safety issue for those living there.
"Advocates, for example, would look to be in touch with them, to find out what they need, to see the next steps moving forward -- now we don't know where they are because they've been forced to move. They're less visible."
Nakuset, director of the Native Women's Shelter, expressed a similar concern.
She worries that "pretty soon, we're gonna get a phone call saying 'Where am I going to go?' because the Native Women's Shelter is full, most of the shelter's are full. There's nowhere to go."
CITY PROMISES 'SENSITIVE' APPROACH
Montreal is no stranger to tent cities. Last spring, an encampment grew in the city's East end.
Police evicted those who stuck around after being told to leave, to the ire of protestors and residents alike.
But a spokesperson for the mayor's cabinet said the new liaison will act with more care.
"These operations carried out by social workers are done with great sensitivity," reads a statement provided by Marikym Gaudreault.
"Our priority is to bring these people closer to social workers and to put in place emergency shelter and housing solutions."
Another spokesperson for the city said the encampments downtown are not sustainable and need to be "addressed with due diligence and sensitivity."
"They pose serious safety risks, especially due to the flammable materials often found in encampments," said Gonzalo Nunez.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.