$1.5 million invested in the Village Transition project in Gatineau
Melissa Gelinas
The homeless rate in Gatineau continues to grow at a significant rate, particularly in recent years. To counter the situation, the municipal council of Gatineau met on October 10, World Homelessness Day, to put their plan into action.
The Robert-Guertin Centre, known for welcoming many homeless people, will now be reorganized to accommodate more than 85 shipping containers to shelter over 100 people this winter. The containers will be transformed into heated and air-conditioned dwellings, each with a bed, a bathroom and a partial kitchen. The project is led by the Transition Québec organization, at a cost of more than $1.5 million.
To secure the premises, security guards will be present, and the police will be available if needed. Annual evaluations will be carried out to ensure proper management of the premises.
Furthermore, the city is committed to transferring a portion of the Robert-Guertin Centre land to Transition Québec for a period of 10 years, which will allow it to successfully carry out this major project.
The Village Transition project, however, is not the definitive solution to the problem. “This is ‘a band-aid on a hemorrhage,’” explains Maude Marquis-Bissonnette. The issue of homelessness in Gatineau requires more resources, such as shelters for women, for example. In four years, there has been an increase of more than 268% in the homeless rate in the city of Gatineau alone.
The city must also be able to deal with the problem in other affected areas. To achieve this, it is necessary to work in collaboration with partners and with the support of Quebec and Ottawa. Additional funds will also be distributed to help other sectors of the city.