The City of Montreal is launching a “major” public consultation on tackling and finding solutions to homelessness.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, along with local public health and provincial officials, announced the initiative Tuesday.
She said the city has heard from Montrealers and wants to involve both citizens and community organizations in the next steps.
“We are seeing that more and more residents, parents, families and business owners are concerned about the way resources are planned in their area and we must do better in anticipation of increasing needs,” Plante said in a statement.
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The public consultation comes as Montreal, along with Quebec, faces a rising number of people living in emergency shelters or on the streets.
Last year, a report found that “visible homelessness” increased by 33 per cent in Montreal between April 2018 and October 2022. The survey counted 10,000 homeless people across the province, including 4,690 in Montreal, on Oct. 11, 2022.
The development was also announced one day after Montreal police were called to investigate the death of a man who was found lifeless in a “makeshift shelter” between buildings.
The dates have not yet been set for the public consultation, but they will be announced on the city’s website in the coming weeks. Afterwards, a report with findings will be made public.
— with files from Global’s Dan Spector and The Canadian Press
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