New housing centre launched for Indigenous people experiencing homelessness

New housing project for Indigenous people A permanent housing centre with 18 rooms will soon serve Indigenous people in downtown Montreal experiencing homelessness.

On Monday, Projets autochtones du Québec (PAQ) inaugurated Maison Akhwà:tsire, a supervised housing centre in Montreal that will provide a home for up to 22 Indigenous people experiencing homelessness.

The new centre, located near the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), has 18 rooms, including six that are accessible to people with reduced mobility.

The work to acquire the building and renovate the property cost $6.8 million, with the federal government contributing $4.7 million through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Rapid Re-Housing Initiative.

Tenants will benefit from the Rent Supplement Program and pay only 25 per cent of their gross income to live there.

The remaining housing costs will be covered by the Société d'habitation du Québec and the City of Montreal.

In addition to having a room in a culturally safe environment, tenants will have access to psychosocial supports 24 hours a day, including medical care services.

The centre will also be adapted to accommodate people with addictions thanks to the PAQ program, developed in partnership with the CHUM's Addiction Medicine Service.

To ensure the sustainability of operations, PAQ will receive $1 million in recurring funding from the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services.

This story by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 27, 2023.