Every November, the same question comes back with the cold: where will people sleep? This year, homelessness in Montreal has become the first test for both a new provincial government and a mayor in her first year, after a string of deaths in encampments and on the streets. Here’s a plain-language guide to what’s been promised for the winter, the risks that remain and how ordinary Montrealers can help.
The city’s plan: close to 3,000 spots, 24/7
On Oct. 8, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada unveiled a winter plan that includes close to 3,000 spots in warming centres and emergency shelters, open around the clock, according to CTV News. “My hope is that no one should be born or dies in the street,” she said. The city estimated it needed $20 million from Quebec this year to carry out the plan, and asked for a three-year commitment so community groups aren’t left scrambling every fall.
The announcement came the same week a woman in her fifties died in a fire at an encampment in Montréal-Nord. Police considered the death accidental, with an investigation ongoing.
Front-line groups are cautiously hopeful. Alia Hassan-Cournol, director general of La Rue des Femmes, told CTV there is a sense of optimism because, for the first time, all levels of government appear aligned on making homelessness a priority, while warning that it won’t solve the problem in the short term. Prime Minister Mark Carney also called the issue a priority and pledged to work with Quebec.
Quebec’s response: $28 million in emergency money
On Oct. 23, in his first major announcement as premier, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who has also named himself minister responsible for homelessness, unveiled $28 million in emergency funding at the Accueil Bonneau shelter, alongside the mayor. Key points:
- The money comes on top of $18 million already allocated, for a total of $46 million.
- It is meant to add 1,000 new spots in warming centres and emergency shelters across Quebec.
- The Montreal area, home to nearly half of the province’s unhoused population, gets $18 million.
- A summit on homelessness, an idea proposed by former premier Pauline Marois, is planned for early 2027.
The premier said he has been inspired by the “housing first” approach, which pairs a home with psychosocial support. The PQ has pledged $1 billion and set a goal of cutting homelessness in half by 2030. A recent report, covered by CityNews, argues that target is only realistic if root causes are addressed.
A coroner’s inquiry
Quebec’s chief coroner has also ordered a public inquiry into the deaths of five people experiencing homelessness in Montreal between Sept. 23, 2025 and March 25, 2026. According to the premier, the coroner’s office has investigated about 500 such deaths since 2020.
The encampment fire risk
Not everyone will go to a shelter. Near the Olympic Stadium, in the wooded area some call Steinberg Forest, residents are building their own winter structures from pallets and plywood, some with homemade wood stoves and generators, CTV reported on Oct. 28. The mayor warned that improvised heating and wiring make some of these structures dangerous, especially with tarps and treated wood, and that any that fail a fire department inspection will be demolished. She also acknowledged that many people have nowhere else to go, and that transitional housing is urgently needed. Residents told CTV they expect fire officials to hand out extinguishers and smoke alarms.
The legal backdrop matters too: a Quebec court earlier rejected the city’s appeal to clear an encampment, which shapes how far authorities can go.
How to help with homelessness in Montreal this winter
- If someone is in danger, especially on a very cold night, call 911.
- To connect someone with services, dial 211, the free information and referral line for community resources.
- Give to front-line groups such as Accueil Bonneau or La Rue des Femmes, which serves women experiencing homelessness. Money is usually more useful than goods; ask before dropping off donations.
- Need help yourself? CTV has a roundup of organizations offering food assistance across Quebec.
What to watch next
Over the coming weeks, watch whether the new spots actually open on time and stay full, whether the province makes the multi-year commitment the city asked for, and how the coroner’s inquiry unfolds. The early-2027 summit will be the first real test of the housing-first promise.
This is the new government’s first big file. For context, revisit our coverage of the PQ swearing-in and cabinet day, and the city’s winter readiness plans. More in our News section.
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Photo: Jean Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sources: CTV News (city plan), CTV News / The Canadian Press ($28M), CTV News (encampments), CityNews, CTV News (court), CTV News (food assistance)
