New report says Montreal should stop dismantling homeless encampments

By Canadian Press on July 10, 2025.

MONTREAL — A new report says Montreal should stop dismantling homeless encampments until the city develops a policy to better care for the unhoused.

Montreal’s public consultation office says the city should instead create safer living conditions in the encampments by improving access to drinking water, toilets, waste collection and electricity.

The consultation office’s report says there’s a serious lack of leadership and governance in the fight against homelessness in Montreal and in the rest of the province.

It says community organizations lack the resources they need to help people experiencing homelessness.

It also says the city should ask health authorities to establish more supervised drug-consumption services in Montreal.

The report follows public consultations that began last year, as city officials grappled with the rising number of people experiencing homelessness.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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