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A plan to build a shelter for the unhoused in Ahuntsic has officially been cancelled as Fondation Gracia, the organization that planned to sell its building to the city, has pulled out of the deal.
Robert Beaudry, the mayor’s point person for the unhoused confirmed to The Gazette on Friday the project was shelved because of “a lack of social acceptability.”
“I’m very disappointed because we lost an opportunity to offer an essential service for a growing need,” he told The Gazette in an interview. “I’m also disappointed because it’s a need that is growing and we must find quick solutions.”
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City council approved the purchase of the Bois-de-Boulogne building from the foundation in June. In the interim, the city planned to sign a four-month lease with the foundation starting Aug. 1, while the city carried out its due diligence to purchase the building. The city wanted to sublet the building to the Société de développement social (SDS), which manages a 24/7 shelter for the unhoused that must vacate its temporary space on Gordon St. in Verdun on July 31.
Beaudry said the administration thought it had learned from their recent experience. Back in December, citizens criticized the borough of Verdun and city on the plan to open an unhoused shelter on Gordon, saying it was late in the game, and residents were presented with a fait accompli. In the case of Ahuntsic, citizens were informed two months ahead of time.
However, in this case, residents complained because the proposed shelter was located near a daycare centre and several schools
“There are always concerns when a new resource comes to a neighbourhood, and that’s normal,” Beaudry said. “We share their concerns, too, but the important thing is that we show that we can properly integrate these kinds of services.”
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He pointed out the Verdun shelter had few complaints after it opened in the area.
“But what we have to avoid as much as possible is the case we had here, where we said ‘no’ before even having the privilege of answering questions and to work to properly integrate the project.”
Beaudry said it highlights the need for the city to consult the public on how to better integrate such resources. Earlier this month, the city announced it will mandate the Office de consultation publique de Montréal to conduct public hearings on how to properly integrate resources for those living on the streets.
However, opposition leader Aref Salem, puts the blame on the Ahuntsic shelter’s failure at the feet of the Plante administration.
“It’s always the same pattern, and it’s unfortunate because yet again we have vulnerable people who risk finding themselves on the street again by next week because of the incompetence of this administration,” Salem said, referring to the people served by the shelter that’s closing in Verdun.
“The mayor should have brought everyone involved to the table to come up with an action plan for the city. You can’t proceed like it was an à la carte menu, where you chose one neighbourhood at a time. Every time they’re choosing a neighbourhood (to open a shelter), they’re creating a problem.”
Beaudry said the city intends to find another site near the Verdun shelter, and still intends on opening up a shelter in Ahuntsic.
“We’re going to continue, and we’ll vaunt our successes,” Beaudry said. “It’s important to talk about these successes, because community groups work very hard and it is possible to integrate this well into our neighbourhoods. People who experienced homelessness also need a milieu of life, that is serene and calm, and that’s what we will offer.”
In the meantime, he said the city will work with the provincial health ministry to find places for employees working at the Verdun shelter, saying the city doesn’t want to lose the expertise of those workers as it attempts to secure a new location for a shelter.
The Gazette’s Linda Gyulai contributed to this report.
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