A new emergency and transitional housing centre has opened in Sainte-Thérèse, marking an important addition to the social safety net in the Thérèse-De Blainville region at a time when homelessness and housing insecurity continue to place pressure on communities across Quebec.
La Maison François, operated by Resto Pop Thérèse-De Blainville, will provide support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to people experiencing homelessness or severe residential instability. The centre was officially inaugurated on May 22 by Lionel Carmant, Quebec’s Minister Responsible for Social Services and the Fight Against Homelessness.
The opening is significant because, until now, there was no local emergency housing resource of this kind available in the area. For vulnerable people in Thérèse-De Blainville, that meant having to rely on services outside their immediate community or facing the risk of remaining without shelter.
La Maison François offers nine housing places, including five emergency beds for short stays of up to 14 days and four transitional beds for stays of up to 90 days. The centre also includes continuous intake services, a day centre, and three transitional rooms in the community, designed to help people move through the different stages of residential and social stabilization.
The Quebec government is supporting the project with recurring funding of $870,926. According to Minister Carmant, the goal is not only to provide immediate shelter, but also to offer longer-term accompaniment so that vulnerable people can regain stability and dignity.
The project also reflects a broader shift in how homelessness is being addressed. Rather than treating emergency shelter as a stand-alone response, La Maison François is presented as part of a continuum of services, combining food support, temporary housing, social reintegration, and community-based follow-up.
Resto Pop Thérèse-De Blainville has been active in the community for more than 25 years. Its work has included community meals, work platforms, and social reintegration measures for people experiencing homelessness or precarious living conditions. La Maison François now expands that mission into emergency and transitional housing.
Eric Girard, Minister of Finance, Minister Responsible for Infrastructure and MNA for Groulx, called the opening good news for the Laurentians, saying it will provide concrete and humane services directly in the community.
Julie Delaney, president and CEO of the CISSS des Laurentides, also welcomed the initiative, emphasizing that adapted services for vulnerable people remain a priority for the regional health and social services network.
The centre was developed with support from Quebec’s emergency homelessness measures and the 2021-2026 interministerial action plan on homelessness.
For the Thérèse-De Blainville region, La Maison François represents more than a new building or service point. It is a civic response to a growing public issue: how municipalities, community organizations, health institutions, and the provincial government can work together to protect people whose housing situation has become unstable or unsafe.
