‘Being invaded’: 1,500 Chinatown community members sign petition against social housing project for unhoused

Chinatown residents and merchants are pushing back against a proposed social housing project for homeless people, arguing the neighbourhood is being treated as a “dumping ground” and at risk of becoming “homelesstown.”

A petition opposing the project has been signed by more than 1,500 people since it launched in October, according to community groups representing Chinatown residents and business owners.

“Why should one particular part of town have to assume a greater responsibility than other parts of the city?” said Bryant Chang, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Montreal (CAM), one of the groups opposing the proposed project.

“We feel like we’re being invaded at this point.”

The project, which is being proposed by the Old Brewery Mission, would involve converting the S. Davis & Sons building on Côté Street into a permanent supportive housing site for people experiencing or at immediate risk of homelessness, including around 50 seniors.

It’s planned for between the former Wing Noodles factory and the Chinese Catholic Community Centre.

“We are against the violence, drugs, sexual… we are not against homeless people,” said Father Joseph Liu from the Chinese Catholic Community Centre.

“We felt safe even at night. But now it’s a different story,” added Christiane Jansen, an executive committee member with the Association of Residents of Chinatown (ARC).

Community leaders argue the situation reflects a broader pattern seen in Chinatowns across Canada, where marginalized communities are concentrated without adequate consultation or respect for the cultural and social fabric of the area.

They add it represents a form of “systemic discrimination in urban planning.”

“The Old Brewery Mission was never a part of the Chinatown fabric. And now all of a sudden, out of nowhere, you’re going in and you’re going to take over this building?” said Chang.

“This is so much part of Chinatown’s heritage and suddenly have this parachuted? That’s why people say: ‘we’re not a dumping ground,'” added Fo Niemi, the executive director of the Center for Research Action on Race Relations (CRAAR).

Petitioners are calling on municipal and provincial officials to deny support and approval for the project. They also want public consultations on any project going forward that affects Chinatown residents and businesses.

The petition will be presented to the Martinez Ferrada administration in February.

“Stop taking us for fools,” Niemi said. “We’re not going to take it anymore and you can take it and shove it elsewhere.”

CityNews reached out to Montreal’s mayor, who declined to comment.

The petition is supported by groups like CAM, ARC, and the Montreal Chinatown Development Council.

According to the groups, residents and merchants first learned about the proposal last year through media reports, after the Old Brewery Mission applied for provincial funding. They were frustrated there was no proper consultation.

Old Brewery Mission says the plan is for residents to live independently with support staff on site. The building is designated as a heritage site.

“We have begun collaborating with the table des partenaires de l’îlot Wing to shape a vision for the block, one that supports the Chinatown community,” the Old Brewery Mission told CityNews in a statement.

“We look forward to discussing this project with any interested parties, including those who have issued the petition.”

Côté Street is also home to several culturally significant sites, including the now-closed Wing Noodle factory and the Chinese Catholic Community Centre, Chinatown advocates say. The centre serves more than 100 seniors and provides programs for over 500 children and adults in the community.

Opponents of the project argue Chinatown already hosts a disproportionate number of services for people experiencing homelessness. They say the neighbourhood has reached its capacity for welcoming social services by outside organizations.

They also want the province to tighten the rules going forward, by expanding the list of places prohibited to be near safe injection sites to include community centres that serve children and seniors.

“Are you going to trust them when they tell you, ‘don’t worry, you won’t have any problems with this new centre. You could trust us.’ No,” said Vincent Lupien, a landlord and property investor.