Montreal advocates want immediate moratorium on homeless encampment evictions

RAPSIM, a Montreal organization that defends the rights of people experiencing homelessness, and several other community organizations are denouncing Transport Quebec’s intention to evict the homeless population that has been living in tents along Notre-Dame Street East in Montreal on December 1.

They say that emergency shelter spaces in the city are at capacity and that this group should not be displaced because of the trauma that it creates.

“By evicting encampments, we’re just forcing people to go hide themselves further, and it makes their security, their health, and even their lives in danger, because they are isolated, they can’t help each other,” said Jérémie Lamarche, a community organizer for RAPSIM.

RELATED: Montrealer experiencing homelessness preparing for eviction despite 10-day reprieve: ‘It’s a joke’

“Naturally we lose people and people are put outside from outside, therefore they have to hide and there’s a huge alarming security issue,” said Mila Alexova, coordinator or proximity services for Old Brewery Mission.

Transport Quebec had originally given this homeless community until Thursday, less than a week, to pack up and leave.

However, the Mobile Legal Clinic (MLC) — lawyers representing the homeless — intervened and asked Transport Quebec to delay the eviction until December 1 when warming spaces open in Montreal.

“So, we explained the situation to dismantle the encampment on the 21st of November, leaving people with absolutely nowhere to go at night, even just to warm up, when the places open 10 days later really seemed a bit harsh,” said Helena Lamed, a pro-bono lawyer for MLC. 

Transport Quebec agreed to the new deadline, but despite this, RAPSIM and other community groups are still demanding that the eviction be lifted and that a moratorium on evictions be implemented in the city as well as more support for the homeless community.

“We’re citizens too. We just don’t have a place to live. Where we can’t live? If you want to do that, give us a space that we can establish, that we can feel safe. Because right now we don’t,” said Devint, who lives in Notre-Dame Street East encampment.

For Devint a place in an emergency shelter does not meet his needs, which is not uncommon for many.

“I have no family. They’re my family. That’s very important to have one around.” 

“When we say that it doesn’t fill the needs of everyone. It doesn’t mean that people are picky. It means that they got situations and they are unique,” said Chantal Montmorency, the director of AQPSUD.

Currently, in Montreal, there are about 1,800 emergency shelter spaces and that will go up to about 2,100 on December 1.

“We could have a thousand new places tomorrow, it wouldn’t be sufficient. We need different resources that fit people’s needs,” said Lamarche.

Devint adding, “Look, for me it’s simple. I don’t have any more family. I got kids. That’s it. Everybody else here is all my brothers and sisters. Mom, Dad, they don’t exist. They’re right here.”