 | | |   | Between 2018 and 2022, the number of people experiencing visible homelessness in Quebec grew by 44%. And the growth didn't stop there: between 2022 and 2025, the number rose by another 20%, with certain regions hit by surges of nearly 50%. The statistics testify to a rapid and worrying worsening of the crisis. The only good news is that the increase in Montreal was limited to 7%.
Homelessness is neither inevitable nor the simple result of individual choice. It stems above all from structural factors: the scarcity of affordable housing, economic precarity, addiction and fragile mental health, and support mechanisms that only go so far. In many cases, homelessness could even be prevented if there was adequate intervention beforehand.
That said, yesterday's responses are no longer enough. If we truly want to address homelessness, we must demonstrate boldness and adapt our approaches to the diverse realities on the ground. Most especially, we must put prevention at the heart of public action and make homelessness a national priority.
In any effective response to homelessness, efforts to preserve the existing housing stock must go hand in hand with initiatives to develop non-market housing. The least expensive housing is housing that is already lived in. Yet these units are constantly under threat from speculation, renovictions and conversions; protecting them prevents people from being pushed into homelessness from the get-go and makes for more stable communities all around. At the same time, it is essential to secure and increase the supply of social, community and cooperative housing, especially by setting an ambitious and non-negotiable target of 20% for non-market housing to shield a large-enough share of the housing stock from speculation. These guidelines (and others) are covered in a new report by the Quebec Homelessness Prevention Collaborative (QHPC), which calls on the Quebec government and other political parties to consider a new legal framework of measures that would work at a structural level to reduce homelessness across the province. The Mission Old Brewery is a proud founder of the QHPC, and our ecosystem is the better for it. More info about it below.
Acting fast, and outside the box, is no longer a choice, but a necessity.
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| | Happy reading. |
| | JAMES HUGHES |
| PRESIDENT AND CEO | |
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| |  | | A MANIFESTO TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS BEFORE IT HAPPENS |
| The Quebec Homelessness Prevention Collaborative (QHPC) brings together experts from universities, the community and the public service to promote a prevention-based approach. With its work, it formulates recommendations for public policy and legal reform, fosters knowledge sharing and supports the government in developing sustainable solutions.
The QHPC has just launched a manifesto to prevent homelessness, which calls for concrete actions to protect the right to housing, prevent evictions and offer support to people before homelessness hits.
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THE MONK PAVILION OFFCIALLY OPENS |
| In mid-June, for the first time in its history, the Old Brewery Mission opened a rehousing project in Montreal's Sud-Ouest, marking an important step in the expansion of its services across the Island of Montreal.
Achieved in collaboration with several public and private partners, the Monk Pavilionoffers 18 sunny studio apartments, each with kitchen and bathroom. The people who live there also benefit from psychosocial support adapted to their needs.
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| | | | THE VOISINES DE LARTIGUE BECOMES FULFORD PAVILION |
| | In early June, the Old Brewery Mission gave its Les Voisines de Lartigue pavilion a new name: the Fulford Pavilion. It was a way to pay tribute to the Fulford Residence, an organization whose long history of commitment to marginalized women left a deep mark on Montreal. It also highlights the exceptional generosity of the Residence, whose $2 million donation will enable the Mission to continue to support women experiencing or at risk of homelessness. |
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| | | | RICO'S NEW HOME |
| | The Old BreweryMission team had the privilege to be there with Rico at a key stage in his journey: the discovery of his new apartment. After two and a half years in our emergency pavilion for men, he's moving intothe Monk Pavilion, where he's among the very first residents. | |
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| |  | Marjolaine Despars is the Special Projects Manager for Housing Support Services and has been working in the fields of homelessness and housing for about 20 years.
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| | | In Montreal, charges against people experiencing homelessness are, for the most part, not linked to violence, but to acts that are essential for survival: procuring something to eat, something to wear, a place to shelter in. The simple fact of occupying public space is not enough to make someone a criminal.
It is essential therefore that the City of Montreal and the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) strengthen their efforts to limit judicialization and eliminate social profiling.
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| | | | TWO WINS AGAINTS HOMELESSNESS, BUT WE NEED MORE! |
| With homelessness now affecting some 12,000 people across Quebec, the measures announced by Premier Christine Fréchette in May are a welcome respite in a context of limited resources. Though these initiatives meet the urgency of the problem, structural transformation is still necessary to attack its root causes and end the phenomenon for good.
In his open letter published in La Presse, Old Brewery Mission president and CEO James Hughes proposes four avenues for reform to prevent new citizens from falling into homelessness.
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| | | At the end of May, the first results of the most recent count were unveiled. They indicate that some 12,077 people are now experiencing homelessness across Quebec, a 20% increase from three years ago. Despite the mobilization efforts, the situation is still worrying. It should not be merely accepted as a new norm, but considered as a national priority.
In an opinion letter published in Le Devoir, Old Brewery Mission president and CEO James Hughes and several community leaders co-signed a call for collective mobilization. Under the leadership of former premier Pauline Marois, they are calling for a national summit to better coordinate actions and strengthen the response to homelessness.
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| |  | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - MAJOR CAMPAIGN
2023-2028 |
| The Old Brewery Mission is currently conducting a major fundraising drive to enable it to continue supporting vulnerable people at every stage of their reaffiliation.
Thanks to the support of our generous donors, we are able to carry out innovative projects while maintaining our essential services. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has already contributed.
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| | | | UPCOMING EVENTS | |
 | | The Old Brewery Mission will have the pleasure of welcoming you on August 3 for a day on the greens of the prestigious Beaconsfield Golf Club for the 23rd edition of the Ken Reed Annual Golf Tournament. Organized by the Tenaquip Foundation, the event is held to benefit programs that help people experiencing homelessness get off the streets for good. |
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| |  | On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the 2026 edition of Visible at the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal will be taking place. This fundraising event supports programs and services for the women at the Old Brewery Mission, which helps the largest number of women experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Canada.
The money collected will serve directly to support essential services adapted to the specific situations of homelessness among women.
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| | | | YOUR SUPPORT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE! |
| | A donation to the Old Brewery Mission helps thousands of men and women experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives. Thank you! |
| | WHAT WE NEED |
• Underwear • Deodorants • Razors
• Toothpaste/toothbrushes • Shower gel/soap
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