Quebec skins city on federal homeless cash
Two months ago, Justin Trudeau sent Quebec $21 million in funds to help the homeless. Quebec has set aside only one third of this cash for Montreal, even though this city is overwhelmingly where the majority of the province’s homeless are living. And shelters say they haven’t received a cent yet.
Bill Binns 14:39 on 2020-05-25 Permalink
Ugh. The homeless are in Montreal because that’s where the handouts are. Give all 21 million to Sherbrooke to open wet shelters and heroin lounges and see what their downtown looks like a year from now.
Tee Owe 14:45 on 2020-05-25 Permalink
Bill Binns – sometimes your observation are witty, to the point, amusingly on the mark if a bit politically incorrect – not this one. Homeless people did not choose to be homeless – show some humanity
Blork 15:07 on 2020-05-25 Permalink
I agree with Tee Owe. Homeless people go where they stand the best chance of surviving, and that’s generally the densest urban area.
That’s where the resources are, which include (a) spaces to shelter at night (whether it’s an actual formal shelter or a deserted shed or a nook under an overpass, a squat, etc., (b) free food from church charities, grocery store dumpsters, food banks, generous restaurants, etc. (c) odd quick jobs such as shoveling or sweeping something (i.e., jobs that pay in cash or food, require no commitment, no CV, no schedule, etc.), (d) ready supply of booze and dope for the addicted, (e) companionship in the form of other homeless people, (f) space (more or less) to live their odd lives largely un-harassed and unmolested by small town people who wouldn’t tolerate having unstable homeless people around.
dwgs 18:38 on 2020-05-25 Permalink
Yeah, what Tee Owe said. Bill, usually I like you even if I don’t often agree with you but you’re out of line with that one.
david99 19:39 on 2020-05-25 Permalink
Just read this: https://vancouversun.com/news/storefronts-impassable-due-to-garbage-human-waste-and-open-drug-use/wcm/fcd992a9-dcc1-45eb-abb5-664b387ca2f2/
At least Montreal isn’t this bad.
EmilyG 22:06 on 2020-05-25 Permalink
Ok Bill, we get it, you hate poor people.
Bill Binns 10:29 on 2020-05-26 Permalink
22 years in the convenience store business and 4 years living in the Village. I did not come to my opinions on the “homeless” by turning my nose up at Stinky Joe sleeping in the Metro.
It seems obvious to me that if you put all of the various services offered to the homeless in one place, that’s where the homeless will be. Montreal has a disproportionate burden in this regard and within Montreal there is a huge discrepancy. Where is Outremont’s heroin lounge? Why no Westmount branch of the Old Brewery Mission? A few months ago the city announced they would be opening some of the trendy new shelters with open bars but refused to say where they would be located. Anyone want to place some bets on what side of town will shoulder the burden of these new attractants?
@Tee Owe – People don’t choose homelessness? Speak to someone in the homeless industry and they will quickly tell you the opposite. A great deal of these people (especially younger people) have homes waiting for them that they choose not to return to. Notice how the number of apparent homeless spikes during warmer months? They don’t spend the winter in the Caribbean. They go home. Or, you could just talk to some homeless people and they will tell you themselves. You will hear stories of extreme rugged individualism and a reluctance to follow any rules whatsoever.
@Emily – I suggest you look into how much it costs to be drunk or high 24/7. These people have more cash flow than the average “poor” person who works and has an apartment.
EmilyG 11:49 on 2020-05-26 Permalink
Bill, there is so much you don’t know about these things. So much you don’t know about poor or homeless or underprivileged people in general.
But it doesn’t seem that you’ll ever care about people less-advantaged than you, so I won’t waste time trying to explain any of that here.
Travelzombie@gmail.com 13:50 on 2020-05-26 Permalink
Yep, we’ll just leave it at “Bill hates poor people”. It’s so much easier.
Blork 15:58 on 2020-05-26 Permalink
I hear what you’re saying Bill, but maybe you should acknowledge that your two vantage points doesn’t necessarily give you a CLEARER view of the situation; rather it gives you a skewed view (along the lines of when you’re a hammer, all problems look like a nail).
Your neighbourhood is known to be a gathering point for the kind of seasonal homeless people you describe. So that’s mostly what you’re seeing. (Hammer -> nail)
Ian 19:49 on 2020-05-26 Permalink
Jeez Bill, of course people in the throes of addiction spend lots of money on their addiction. That’s why it is called addiction. I had an uncle who got hooked on crack – looks pretty cheap at 5 bucks a pop until you are at the point you need a pop every 20 minutes, you really can’t hold down anything but the addiction at that point.
Bill Binns 20:07 on 2020-05-26 Permalink
@Blork – The vast majority of advocates will not admit that the “seasonal homeless” exist. The prevalent position is that of Tee Owe above “Homelessness is not a choice”.
As far as my vantage points go, what am I missing? Do other neighborhoods have a different type of homeless people or just less (or none) of them? The folks shuffling around my neighborhood don’t seem materially different than the homeless I see in LA and Sacramento and Seattle (San Francisco is in a class by itself). If anyone is missing the proper vantage point on the situation it’s the super advocates who believe the homeless can do no wrong but also never encounter them anywhere near their home.
@Ian – Not surprised that addicts spend money on their drug of choice but that doesn’t make them “poor” does it? Since the government and various government funded entities take care of absolutely all the day to day needs of these people from food to socks, they are able to spend every nickle they get their hands on on drugs or booze. We are enabling this lifestyle.
JP 22:55 on 2020-05-26 Permalink
“…We are enabling this lifestyle.”
I really have no words. I can’t see how anyone could ever think homelessness or addictions are somehow a luxurious lifestyle choice. These are not a choice. There are many factors, including mental illness, abuse, systemic discrimination. Even if someone has a “home” they could return to, maybe try to imagine how awful “home” might be if they’d rather live on the street.
To my mind, it only makes sense that the homeless or those with addictions would go to where there are resources. That’s not a bad thing. You should go where you can get help and have the best chance of surviving.
With that said, there are neighbourhoods in Montreal where one might not be as exposed to the homeless. If you find the homeless, so offensive, I’m not sure why you wouldn’t move…
I wish people would realize that much of our outcomes are mere accidents of birth.
Count yourself lucky and extend some compassion.