Montreal's Hôtel-Dieu shelter at risk of shutting its door this spring

Serge has been staying at the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal 24-hour emergency shelter with his dog, Luna, for just over two months but is worried the place he's been calling home might shut down by the end of March.

"Everybody that didn't find anything will be back on the street, literally," said Serge, who did not want to share his last name, as he worries doing so could jeopardize his chances of finding a job.

He says he's preparing for the worst and is planning to buy a good blanket in case he has to sleep on the street again, "because winter isn't over."

The Hôtel-Dieu shelter, which opened in the former hospital in July 2021, has room for 186 people and is always full.

It's a unique shelter as it has elevators for people with reduced mobility, allows pets and offers more privacy than other shelters with dormitories. Each room has two beds. The shelter also offers three meals a day and even pet food.

Counsellors are also on hand to help those staying at the shelter receive welfare, file their tax refunds and find permanent housing.

Serge worries he won't be able to find anything like it again. He's especially worried because most shelters in the city don't allow pets, and he says he lost his apartment because his former landlord stopped allowing him to keep Luna. 

"What's going to happen? I don't know. Am I going to go back on the street? Am I going to be able to find a place for myself? Especially for me with a pet, it's a little bit harder to find an apartment," he said.

Shelter to possibly relocate

The local health authority, which funds the shelter's operations, said the emergency shelter was a temporary measure, and that it has been discussing possible transitions with the organizations running the shelter for a few months so they can prepare.

James Hughes, the president of the Old Brewery Mission which has been running the shelter with the Welcome Hall Mission, says he is confident that the shelter can relocate while offering all the services it had at the former hospital. He's hoping the deadline to leave can be extended to the end of June, so services on-site can wind down gradually.

He says the organizations have been in touch with the health authority and the city to identify new locations that would include semi-private rooms and elevators, but nothing is set in stone yet.

"We're going to do everything in our power to continue to support people wherever they end up being," said Hughes.

"I'm very confident that it will be business as usual either at the Hôtel-Dieu or somewhere else."

If the shelter has to relocate, however, it likely won't be able to accommodate as many people as it could at the Hôtel-Dieu site. 

Hughes is hoping that most of those currently staying at the shelter can find permanent housing before it has to close down. So far, about 300 people have been housed with the help of the shelter's staff, said Hughes.

No fewer beds, promise authorities

The city of Montreal says no matter what happens at Hôtel-Dieu, the same number of beds must remain available overall in the city for those experiencing homelessness.

"It's mandatory," said Robert Beaudry, the city's executive committee member responsible for homelessness.

"We don't want a breakdown of services for the population. So we want to provide those services and keep those services."

To that end, Beaudry says, the city is working closely with the provincial government, as well as social organizations. 

The local health authority also said it is not expecting fewer beds to be available in Montreal due to the possible closure. 

It's unclear how the Hôtel-Dieu premises will be used if the shelter is closed.