The Chrome Hotel in downtown Montreal is operating as an isolation facility for the homeless population and has been inundated with new residents since opening on Dec. 30, 2021.
“Since January 1st, the number is nearing 500 people. So the numbers are really quite significant over of quite a short period of time,” said James Hughes, CEO and president of the Old Brewery Mission.
According to Hughes all 125 beds at the Chrome Hotel are full. The Old Brewery Mission manages the hotel — the only facility the city has requisitioned to house homeless people with COVID-19.
“We’re not equipped to do that in the shelter environment. These are communal environments, cafeterias, dormitories and so on. So, it really is a place where a virus can propagate really fast, really quickly,” said Hughes.
The Chrome Hotel can add an extra 25 beds. Additional isolation facilities like the Abri du voyageur Hotel are available. They just need staff.
“The army is giving out shots right now or helping out with the vaccination clinics. Feel free to send some army people over to do the bare minimum at these places,” said The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal Executive Director Nakuset.
She fears the current lack of isolation facilities leaves families with nowhere to go.
“The Chrome is just for, you know, single people as opposed to families. It’s not the right facility,” said Nakuset.
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There is also a lack of space in shelters. CEO and President of the Welcome Hall Mission Sam Watts says the non-profit’s three facilities were full overnight.
“The temperature is just another aggravating factor that’s layered on top of a whole series of health concerns that we have right now,” he told Global News.
Both Watts and Nakuset wonder why more hasn’t been done to help the homeless population.
“It’s kind of too bad that that plan wasn’t already built and that it’s kind of being built as we go here,” said Watts.
Nakuset asks, “Why isn’t there something in place almost a year since Rafael’s death for the homeless population?” referring to the homeless man who died in the cold last winter.
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