Homelessness is a growing problem across many Canadian cities and communities, including Montreal. So why hasn’t it been a bigger issue in this federal election campaign?
Earlier this month, Quebec conducted a new census of its homeless population. While the figures are not yet available, it’s estimated that the number has already risen by 15 per cent since last year.
Sam Watts, the CEO of Welcome Hall Mission, said that the number may continue to rise due to a toughening economy, particularly as a result of the U.S. trade war.
“Tariffs are going to make things more expensive. One of the main reasons people end up experiencing homelessness is they can’t afford where they’re living right now,” he explained.
Tariffs have been a dominant issue in this federal election campaign, with all parties discussing the need for more affordability, housing, and social housing.
The Bloc Québécois’ platform calls for nearly $3.5 billion in increased funding to combat homelessness, while the New Democrats are promising national rent control and measures to prevent rent hikes and evictions.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives propose helping those with drug addiction get treatment and changing the criminal code to allow police to dismantle encampments.
Despite these proposals, homelessness has barely been mentioned during the campaign.
Watts believes this is a mistake, saying the issue concerns many Canadians and is solvable.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard me say this before, but the cost of somebody on the street is $75,000 to $85,000 a year to the system. The cost of housing somebody is between $20,000 and $60,000 a year per person. So why wouldn’t we house them?”
So if it’s so solvable, why haven’t federal leaders talked about it more during this campaign?
Perhaps some believe the homeless don’t vote, although that’s not true—some do.
Watts said it’s because the issue is a complex puzzle involving several levels of government, and all of them need to pull together at the same time—“like a Rubik’s cube.”
Watts added, “It’s so easy to let it fall through the cracks and say, ‘Well, it’s not really our job,’ pointing fingers at the other guy. And usually, the finger-pointing is technically correct, but it’s unhelpful.”
Given this, why hasn’t there been a minister of Homelessness yet to coordinate with everyone involved?
“That is a great question. The answer is no! Everybody is concerned. No one is accountable. I think it’s time for something like that to take charge, and we need to allocate resources to do it. This is a colossal effort, but the cost of doing nothing will be much higher,” Watts said.
