The number of homeless people in Mont-Laurier has increased in recent years. Residential services are evolving, but access to psychiatrists remains a challenge.
The constant heat these days is welcome, especially for the homeless.
The Mont-Laurier heat drop-in center however remained a very busy place during our visit at the end of April.
It was added last fall to accommodate people on the street who wanted to go and have coffee, warm up and wait in the shelter at 4 p.m.explains Gaétane Constantineau, homelessness resource coordinator at Maison Lyse-Beauchamps in Mont-Laurier.
Roaming has existed here for several years […] I’ve been in the region for 17 years and 5, 6 years ago I haven’t seen itcontinued Ms. Constantineau.
According to him, there was no shelter, so people gathered in the street and they came here.
Lack of housing
During our visit, Gilles was traveling between his tent on the side of Route 117 and the emergency accommodation at Maison Lyse-Beauchamps.
I am looking for accommodation in Mont-Laurier […]but they are rare and they are expensivehe explains.
He looked elsewhere in Quebec.
In Montreal, I found a room, but I couldn’t find a place to stay.
In La Sarre, worse. Rouyn, Amos … I’ve tried everything anywhere, but it’s hard. If there is, dearGilles added.
According to data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the housing vacancy rate in Mont-Laurier has dropped to 2% over three years. A rate that reached 6% in 2013.
Mont-Laurier mayor Daniel Bourdon welcomes the presence of Maison Lyse-Beauchamps in his municipality. An establishment that has managed various residential and support services since the 1990s.
We are fortunate to have Maison Lyse-Beauchamps to take care of homelessness, they have 68 employees […] they have become a staple for mental health in our regionsaid the mayor.
The latter hopes that a project of 34 social housing units, for which the City has provided land, as well as a new property tax holiday for the construction of blocks of three or more units will help reduce the shortage. in housing.
Psychiatric care in Saint-Jérôme
Emilie Tessier coordinates mental health services for Maison Lyse-Beauchamps. He observes the state of mental health of clients traveling in the Mont-Laurier region.
The cases are increasingly distressing, left to themselves […] more mortgagedhe says.
Many will need their medication arranged by a health care professional. People have a long -term record, need medication adjustment […] their health failed.
He regrets the lack of psychiatric services at the MRC.
Half of Intermediate Resource’s clients have a psychiatrist in Saint-Jérômehe says. At the Mont-Laurier hospital, there was no psychiatrist, no psychiatry wing.
In an interview with Radio-Canada, the President and CEO of CISSS Des Laurentides, Rosemonde Landry, said she knew five psychiatry specialists would be needed at the Mont-Laurier hospital, but she hoped a professional would return shortly.
Source: Radio-Canada
