'Monumental mess': CDN-NDG County reevaluates warming center

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The Côte-de-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grès district is asking what to do with a new heating center that will serve homeless people after many problems during the winter, including the death of a woman.

The center worked from December to April 1. Located in the offices of the MultiCaf food bank near rue Côte-des-Neiges, it was run by another community organization, Prévention CDN-NDG.

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MultiCaf CEO Jean-Sebastien Patrice told the Gazette that the area needed the service, but the project itself was a “monumental mess”.

“We have the same concerns, concerns and issues as the neighbors,” Patrice said, urging the district to reconsider the project. “For us, the way the center was operating was unacceptable and dangerous.”

The center was open from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., offering homeless people a temporary place to stay warm during the coldest months of the year.

Throughout the winter, neighbors and local businesses have complained about violence, street fights and what can be described as an increase in drug use and a mental health crisis in the neighborhood.

Patrice laid the blame on the center's “high tolerance” approach, which he said led to a lack of oversight and structure. Although 25 seats were required to keep people warm, he said the premises sometimes housed 60-70 people, including drug dealers and people with flats who came to gather.

Lack of supervision also led to safety issues, he said.

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In mid-December, less than a month after the center opened, a woman who used its services died of an overdose. The Quebec coroner's office confirmed to the newspaper that it was investigating the death, but could not provide details on the victim or the cause of death.

“It's a sad situation, but it's a symptom of the kind of assessment that's done when people come in … people can come and go as they please, no questions asked,” Patrice said. “For us, it's problematic.”

Sensing a need for the service, Multifcaf offered office space to the project last winter. A similar heating center used to operate in the basement of the church across the street.

MultiCaf has welcomed such customers for many years without any problems, so the complaints from the site's neighbors are not because they don't want such a service in their neighborhood, Patrice said.

“There is no “not in my backyard'' optics here. It's about the approach we want to take for people living nearby and people using services.”

Prevention CDN-NDG, which operated the center, has been working in the district since the late 1980s. The organization declined repeated requests for an interview from The Gazette to allow it to look into the complaints and explain what happened the night the woman died.

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Its executive director said at first that the organization wanted to provide “a clear picture of the situation”, but later noted that it had decided not to comment on the project in the media.

In a statement, the regional health authority, CIUSSS West Central Montreal, said it has no role in the management of the center other than providing medical care to people experiencing homelessness.

Prevention CDN-NDG received a $55,648 grant for the 2022-2023 fiscal year from CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, which will fund several homeless resources across the city.

Contacted for this article, Cote-de-Neiges — Notre-Dame-de-Grace Mayor Gracia Kasoki Catahwa said the district is considering how to improve the project for next year.

“Unfortunately, the serious problems and numerous police interventions presented by the bagpipes this winter have highlighted the difficulties of living together,” Kasoki Katahwa said in a statement. “We need to agree a new approach before next winter and all options are on the table.”

At the district council meeting in March, Kasoki Katahva, a resident who lives next door to Multicaf, asked about the warming center. The man said customers regularly slept in his driveway or steps, broke his fence and left drug paraphernalia on his property. Frequent calls to the police did not solve the problem, he added.

“My wife is crying in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. There are students and teenage girls in the house, they all fear for their safety,” he told the mayor. “It's a zoo, I apologize for saying that.”

The man asked Kasoki Katahwa if the project was permanent or if it could be moved next year. The mayor admitted there were “definite issues” with the site, but could not yet say whether it would be moved.

“Think about the people who live in the neighborhood,” he added.

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