Tensions are rising between Montreal's residents and unhoused people. Is cohabitation possible?

A controversial homeless shelter located just steps from an elementary school in Montreal's Saint-Henri neighborhood is highlighting the challenges of social cohabitation in various communities across the city.

Maison Benoît Labre has sparked concerns among parents and local residents, who claim the facility has negatively affected the character of the busy, diverse neighborhood since its opening in April, directly across from the Atwater Market.

Residents report witnessing open drug use, aggressive behavior, and sexual conduct by those frequenting the day center, even in the presence of children. The back door of the center borders a park used by Victor-Rousselot elementary school.

Last week, after months of the city defending the facility, the Quebec government agreed to Montreal's request to relocate some of the day services offered at the shelter "to a more suitable location."

In discussing the issue, one official pointed to the Maison du Père men's shelter on René-Lévesque Boulevard as an example of better management, emphasizing the importance of addressing incidents promptly to prevent the development of negative narratives. "If you just simply [let] things go, then a narrative develops. And it's not always the right narrative," he said.

In response to the worsening homelessness situation and increasing complaints from residents near resources for homeless people, the city announced last month that it will hold public consultations to gather input on how to achieve peaceful cohabitation. The main goals include identifying best practices and initiatives to support vulnerable people while promoting social harmony when establishing new resources and services, particularly in neighborhoods unaccustomed to these realities.

Marie-Andrée Painchaud-Mathieu, coordinator of the Regroupement intersectoriel des organismes communautaires de Montréal (RIOCM), emphasized that for successful cohabitation, vulnerable people must have their basic needs met, including better access to healthcare and, above all, housing.

On Wednesday, Montreal announced plans to build 60 modular housing units by March 2025 to provide temporary accommodation for unhoused Montrealers awaiting social housing. While the locations of these units have not yet been determined, social acceptability is already a concern, with the city promising to engage residents in discussions to ensure the project is smoothly integrated.

Painchaud-Mathieu pointed out that the focus is often too heavily placed on cases where cohabitation is not working, neglecting the many instances where it is successful. "If we don't know the [facilities], if we're not able to name them all, it's because it's working really well. It's good news," she said, noting that hundreds of organizations across the island are helping communities effectively.

Painchaud-Mathieu believes the issue has been overly politicized, citing federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's recent comments at Benoît Labre, where he vowed to shut down supervised consumption sites that "endanger the public." She argued that politicians should focus on helping those in need instead of blaming others and trying to score political points "on the backs of marginalized people."

On Tuesday, the Coalition Avenir Québec government confirmed it is considering the possibility of banning supervised consumption sites near schools and childcare centers, following Ontario's lead. The office of Quebec Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant stated that it would wait for recommendations from the government’s health bodies before proceeding.

However, Myrlène Sauveur, director of a downtown Montreal daycare, is urging the minister to act quickly. "This is still a proposal — I want this to be concrete," she said. Her daycare, CPE La Petite Colonie, shares a building with St. Michael's Mission, which serves the homeless community. In February, a worker discovered a dead body in the daycare's playground. Sauveur also reported instances of parents being harassed by shelter users, and children experiencing nightmares due to what they have witnessed. She emphasized that while the daycare educates children about homelessness, "a child isn't there to understand someone who … takes drugs, a naked person who screams at them and scares them."

Sauveur argued that vulnerable people need and deserve resources, "but they can have resources far away from a daycare, far away from a school."

Painchaud-Mathieu warned that the proposed plan could further stigmatize vulnerable individuals, implying that they pose a danger to children. "I'd love to see statistics on the crimes these people commit against children, [because] that's not what the studies tell us," she said.

Stephane Neveu, who uses services at St. Michael's Mission, expressed that the government's plan feels like a blanket judgment of the homeless population. "We're not child molesters. We're not bad people, we're only homeless," he said. Neveu has been living on the streets since February after losing his apartment and belongings in a fire. He described the government's view of people in his situation as disheartening. "It's not because we're homeless that we're going to attack some kids at school," he said.

Watts stressed the importance of not "othering" vulnerable populations for successful cohabitation. "There's no such thing as them and us. There's only us," he said. "When we start that way, we always end up in the right place."