Efforts have increased in recent weeks to provide warmth, care and accommodation to people experiencing homelessness in Montreal.
During our visit to the YMCA on Tupper Street, west of Atwater, a team of professionals from the Y and CIUSSS of the Center-West-of-the-island-of-Montreal has been supporting around thirty people experiencing homelessness since January.
Social worker Éloïse Gougeon-Ross supports residents in their medical appointments and search for an apartment.
Photo : Ivanoh Demers
As the director of operations for the Montreal Center territory for the YMCAs of Quebec, Catherine Parent, explains, the opportunity presented itself at the end of 2025 when the accommodation of asylum seekers was consolidated in another building, elsewhere in Montreal.
For us, it’s really about putting ourselves in solution mode towards homelessness […] to help them stabilize their lives, their physical health and then lead them into a process of social reintegration.
For Darin Luckie, the opportunity could not have come at a better time to rebuild his health.
There is peace here. I have a place, a key, a shower
he said. I need to stop using and find another way to cope.
Around thirty people experiencing homelessness are housed and supported at the YMCA in downtown Montreal.
Photo : Ivanoh Demers
That day, a worker helped him reissue a health insurance card from the RAMQ.
Referred by the emergency department of the Jewish General Hospital
Since January, the Y and CIUSSS prioritize people referred by the Jewish General Hospital (JGH), one of the downtown hospitals struggling with growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness.
Here, we identify people who may be ready to be admitted to a place [au YMCA] to escape the vicious circle of visits to emergency rooms, to shelters, and to have a moment to recover, find housing for themselves
explains Cally Ravn, social worker at JGH.
The latter welcomes the possibility of obtaining a place for a patient the next day
.
As noted by Catherine Roberge, manager at CIUSSS from the center-west of the island of Montreal, having a fixed address, even if only for a few months, allows people experiencing homelessness to benefit from follow-up.
The big issue that we see in CIUSSSis that once people are discharged from hospital, hospital services CLSC are not able to adapt their services to reach these people who do not have a home
explains the head of administration of the mental health and dependency program, for the homelessness and dependency component of CIUSSS.
Catherine Roberge, head of administration of the mental health and dependency program, for the dependency homelessness component at the CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’île-de-Montréal.
Photo : Ivanoh Demers
Temporary accommodation at the YMCA also provides support in finding accommodation.
The pilot project at the Tupper Street YMCA will be in effect for three months and re-evaluated based on the reduction in returns to the emergency room within 45 days, it is specified in the CIUSSS.
