The increase in the number of homeless individuals since the beginning of the pandemic in Saint-Jérôme is concerning the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) des Laurentides, as well as several partner community organisations and institutions.
To mitigate the problem, a crisis unit was formed and a temporary emergency homeless shelter opened its doors on May 11 at the Aréna Mélançon.
The site was chosen to enable mandatory social distancing measures, which have caused a temporary
reduction in the availability of emergency homeless shelter spaces in the sector.
In all, 18 beds will be available to homeless individuals after 5:00 PM each day, with access to showers,
meals, nightclothes and a personal sleeping space. Check-out will be around 8:00 AM, after they have had breakfast and been provided with a packed lunch.
All the partners in this homeless crisis unit – the Salvation Army, Book Humanitaire, Café de rue SOS,
CISSS des Laurentides, Youri Chassin, MNA for Saint-Jérôme, Écluse des Laurentides, Hébergement
Fleur de Macadam, Maison de Sophia, the Saint-Jérôme police services and the Town of Saint-Jérôme –
were pleased to provide this temporary emergency homeless shelter in Saint-Jérôme thanks to everyone’s collaboration.
According to the CISSS des Laurentides, the current pandemic is causing a number of social problems. Homeless individuals are among the population most likely to experience the social impacts of the pandemic. Furthermore, it is increasingly difficult for the authorities to enforce Public Health-mandated preventive measures, because these individuals have nowhere to self-isolate and are often ill-informed regarding health recommendations. The temporary emergency shelter will enable them to protect themselves.
