Controversial Montreal homeless shelter moving from Chinatown to Verdun

A temporary homeless shelter located in Chinatown’s Guy Favreau Complex will reportedly be moving temporarily to Verdun.

In a Facebook post, Verdun mayor, Marie-Andrée Mauger, says the Jardins Gordon, a former seniors residence that was acquire by the city last June to be converted into affordable housing units will be used as a temporary homeless shelter.

“In the meantime, given the crisis of vulnerability and the increase in the number of homeless people throughout the metropolis, including Verdun and the Greater Southwest, the borough has agreed to let the building serve temporarily as an emergency shelter,” mayor Mauger posted on social media.

The new shelter will reportedly replace the shelter in the Guy Favreau Complex in Chinatown which has raised security concerns among residents and business owners there. The community has held numerous press conference to denounce a rise in violence and crime around the area.

“We are aware that the arrival of such a service in the neighbourhood raises concerns within the community. We are working with all our partners (city, SPVM, health network, community organizations) to ensure the smooth integration of the resource and to promote harmonious social cohabitation,” mayor Mauger explains in her post.

Mauger said a citizens meeting will be held in the coming weeks, before the temporary shelter opens, to provide more information and answer questions.

“Thank you in advance for your concern and solidarity. This situation shakes us all, as much as it shatters us to see people out in the cold. It seemed immoral to leave a building vacant this winter, rather than make it temporarily available to keep vulnerable people safe and warm,” her post concludes.

Ensemble Montreal, the official opposition party at Montreal City Hall criticized the timing of the move.

“As usual, the Plante administration arrives at the last minute with a temporary site to relocate homeless people from Complexe Guy-Favreau. Yet it’s been over two months since they announced the closure of this shelter. We have to stop constantly reacting, especially as vulnerable people depend on these resources to avoid finding themselves out in the cold of winter. We expect Projet Montréal to learn from its mistakes and quickly unveil a plan with adequate resources for social cohabitation and security, as well as ensuring that the shelter is available 24/7,” Benoit Langevin, Official Opposition Homelessness Critic said in a statement sent by email.