Housing crisis affecting Montreal North shelter for asylum seekers – Montreal | 24CA News
One of the few spiritual emblems not current at a transitional shelter on Sainte-Gertrude Boulevard within the Montreal North borough is {a photograph} of Mother Teresa.
“Nope. I’m the Mother Teresa,” laughed Kicha Estimé.
That’s the nickname folks have for her. She and her husband function La Traverse, a transitional house for asylum seekers, largely out of their very own pockets. In the three years that she’s been in operation she’s seen folks from throughout the globe.
“They come from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, USA,” she famous, including that many journey by as many as 11 nations earlier than arriving in Canada. Some have horror tales.
“They see dead people, dead children, they don’t eat.”
She has 27 residents now however the issue, in line with her, is that she will be able to’t absorb everybody who comes knocking.
Roxham Road at Quebec’s border with the United States was closed final March, to assist stem the variety of folks crossing into Canada from south of the border. That has not labored, Estimé and others observe.
“I don’t know where they go or where they pass, but they are still coming,” she informed Global News.
Frantz André who additionally works with asylum seekers by his group, Non-status Action Committee, says he’s seen much more asylum seekers arriving since Roxham Road closed.
“Strangely enough, a lot of them are coming with visa,” he identified.
In June, RCMP stopped simply 36 folks between official border factors throughout Canada, in comparison with 4,994 in January. But the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) dealt with over 4,000 claims in June at airports, largely in Quebec and Ontario, in comparison with greater than 1,300 in January and simply over 1,300 in June 2022.
Estimé says now she has to show away between 5 and 10 folks every single day, and hers is the one shelter of its variety in Montreal North.
André stresses one of many issues is that there’s a severe scarcity of shelters and lease for an condominium is simply too excessive.
“Finding an apartment today with whatever money they are getting from social services is almost impossible,” he stated, noting that certified people get lower than $1,000 in social help month-to-month.
Estimé fees $400 month-to-month and most purchasers keep between one to a few months till they get on their toes. She says if she had extra cash she’d get a much bigger place. They’re internet hosting an open home subsequent Wednesday at 11891 Sainte-Gertrude Blvd., to assist increase funds.
Until she will get assist from the federal government she’ll proceed to do what she will be able to — and pray.
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