Welcome Hall Mission hopes to build transitional housing centre for Montreal's homeless
It's mostly an empty space at the moment, as engineers and Welcome Hall Mission board members tour the building, but in the future, the hope is that it will be a functioning transitional housing space where someone can sleep and get a meal.
Welcome Hall Mission CEO Sam Watts stresses, however, that it will not be a shelter.
"We inherited a 100-year-old system whereby the shelter was considered a destination for people and people would come and go from that location," he said.
The new space, he said, will focus on getting people back into permanent housing quickly.
"The issue isn't how quickly can I shelter you? The issue is how quickly can I help you find a permanent place to call home?" said Watts.
The Welcome Hall plans to buy a building on Ontario Street East near Parthenais to set up units for around 50 men and women.
The building will have common areas and dedicated staff to help find permanent housing and other services.
"We have a variety of connected services," said Watts. "Our dental clinic, for example, a mental health services, employment services... Ultimately, this is really aobut helping people get back into permanent housing."
Homelessness in Montreal has been on the rise, and safety in the metro system has become a growing concern.
Watts believes that the solution is in addressing the root causes of homelessness and that the Welcome Halls's rapid housing program is seeing success.
It has housed close to 400 people in the past two years.
"If we scale it up, I think we'll see a decline in visible homelessness, and we'll see an increase in people who are treated with dignity and who are actually productive citizens of our city," he said.
Watts said the provincial government has committed to funding daily operations but purchasing and renovating the space on Ontario Street comes with a $5 million price tag.
"We're going to be looking for lots of help from Montrealers who historically have always stepped up to help us," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
'It feels like freedom': Why some Albertans like going nude in nature
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
Pedestrian dies after being hit by train in Brockville, Ont.
Brockville Police says a pedestrian has died following a collision with a train that was heading to Toronto.
This Calgary home has a giant tree in the middle, and it's for sale
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
China lands spacecraft on the moon amid growing space rivalry with U.S.
A Chinese spacecraft has landed on the moon’s far side to collect rocks in a growing space rivalry with U.S.
Panama prepares to evacuate first island in face of rising sea level
On a tiny island off Panama's Caribbean coast, about 300 families are packing their belongings in preparation for a dramatic change. Generations of Gunas who have grown up on Gardi Sugdub in a life dedicated to the sea and tourism will trade that next week for the mainland’s solid ground.