Montreal homeless turn to emergency rooms for warmth during cold snaps, association says

Emergency rooms in Quebec hospitals are increasingly being used as shelters by people who are unhoused, particularly during cold snaps, Quebec's association of emergency doctors says.

Many of these individuals arrive under false medical pretences, seeking a warm place to stay or somewhere to sleep, and their numbers are rising, according to the Association des médecins d'urgence du Québec.

At the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, officials say they have increased security and deployed more social workers to assist those in need. At Notre-Dame Hospital, about 10 people in similar situations are estimated to spend the night in the emergency room.

"Some people simply tell us they have nowhere to go, while others find a medical reason to stay longer in the waiting room," said Amar Boudjerida, deputy chief of emergency medicine with the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal.

"We can't ask someone to leave when we know they'll end up in conditions that are dangerous to their health. We try to act as a responsible caregiver as best we can."

Overnight, shelters and warming centres often have little to no space available. On Saturday, CAP St-Barnabé, an organization operating three emergency shelters in eastern Montreal, had to turn away about 30 people seeking a warm, dry place for the night. All 350 available beds were already occupied.

Other homeless advocacy organizations are in a similar situation.

"We have to turn away about 50 people per night," said Marie-Pier Therrien, a spokesperson for the Old Brewery Mission.

Between its four emergency centres, there are 470 spots available, but they are full year round, she said.

Last month, a 55-year-old man who was found unconscious in a public square. He later died, and police suspect hypothermia to be the cause. The province's coroner is investigating.

"Emergency rooms become plan B — or even plan C — for people when stores and Metro stations close for the night," said James Hughes, president and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission.

In the face of a housing crisis, a homelessness crisis and an opioid crisis, hospital emergency rooms are going to be increasingly used as a refuge, said Hughes, describing it as "a survival strategy" for those in need.

"People experiencing homelessness are facing an emergency, but it's a social emergency," he said.

Hughes said solutions such as social housing, additional shelters and warming centres are needed. He stressed the importance of collaboration between hospitals and other stakeholders to develop appropriate responses to the growing issue.