Montreal

City of Montreal to start counting homeless tonight

More than 800 volunteers will begin conducting the City of Montreal's homelessness survey on Tuesday evening.

More than 800 volunteers interviewing people on the street

Viger Square in downtown Montreal is a popular spot for the city's homeless population. Many choose to sleep outside rather than in shelters, even when the temperatures drop to beyond freezing. (Simon-Marc Charron/Radio-Canada)

More than 800 volunteers will begin conducting the City of Montreal's homelessness survey on Tuesday evening.

The Douglas Mental Health University Institute Research Centre, along with partners including the YMCAs of Quebec, are conducting the City of Montreal's homelessness survey under the official project name Montreal Homeless Count.

The survey is expected to find out the number of homeless people in the city. The volunteers are being deployed to meet people on the street and ask them about their residential situation.

The city says it will take several weeks to compile the census data and do the analysis. The final report will be submitted before the summer.