Montreal opens 100 emergency shelter spots with more to come over 2 weeks

With the mercury expected to drop below -15 degrees this week, Montreal is upping its spots in emergency shelters.

As of Thursday evening, the downtown YMCA on Stanley Street will be able to welcome about 100 people. The emergency shelter will be open from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. with health support teams and security personnel hired by the city.

The city is also working to implement new resources over the next two weeks. On Monday, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said she was working to have 500 additional shelter spots by Christmas, on top of the YMCA’s capacity.

Two warming centres will open in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie and Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve boroughs from mid-December until the end of March.

The Sainte-Émélie convent in Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve will open a temporary warming centre which can host up to 60 people who need shelter at night.

It will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. with the help of CAP Saint-Barnabé social intervention teams.

The city also wants to pay special attention to women in vulnerable situations.

The Sainte-Bibiane church in Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie will temporarily host a warming centre for women, open every night from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. with a capacity to accommodate 20 women. It will offer a safe and warm place to rest as well as snacks.

With the help of the Centre des femmes de convictions de Montréal, those who stay at the church can receive psychosocial support and referrals.

The city will host information sessions for residents in the area to ensure peaceful cohabitation.

Both churches will open their shelters Dec. 15, until the end of the cold season.

The city will also increase the presence of mixed squads — including Montreal police and its mobile social intervention team (EMMIS) — who will patrol and reach out to those experiencing homelessness.

The city says its goal is to direct individuals to appropriate services.