Homelessness advocacy group urging Montreal to step up initiatives during heat wave

Encampments are growing and the homeless population is vulnerable to any type of extreme weather but the heat is different, especially in high humidity.

Temperatures will peak in the mid-30s in the next days, but humidex values will be closer to 40 °C starting Sunday.

The effects will last until Tuesday, and focus is shifting to the city’s growing homeless population during the extreme heat.

According to James Hughes, the president and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission, the number of homeless encampments in Montreal is rising along with the amount of people living in them.

“We see it right here in front of our campus. We see it around the buildings of other sister organizations as well,” he explains. “We have a serious problem on our hands as a city, which will only get bigger, and more difficult if we don’t take it on proactively.”

Hughes feels the homeless population is vulnerable to any type of extreme weather but the heat is different, especially in high humidity.

“We go inside our homes and we turn on air conditioners if we have them, or fans, if you’re homeless, you don’t have that,” he says. “Homeless people living in a camp will sometimes go into their tent to get out of the sun. Very hot inside those tents. And that can be very dangerous.”

One man told CTV News he has been living in an encampment for two years, and explained that he’s simply used to the heat.

Hughes says the best solution is more affordable housing, but since that will not be solved overnight, the city of Montreal needs to do more to support the current encampments.

“Let’s make sure that people can live in these encampments, with some dignity,” he explains. “We can do this. But if we don’t do it, starting now, it’s just going to get more and more problematic, including in the high heat.”