The number of sheltered homeless people has increased by 15% in Quebec

A person experiences homelessness in Montreal. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press) (Paul Chiasson/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The number of people experiencing homelessness continues to increase in Quebec.

According to a census conducted over a single night in 2024, there has been a 15 per cent increase in sheltered homelessness in a year and a half.

According to the Ministry of Health’s report on the sheltered homelessness census conducted on the night of April 23, 2024, there has been an average annual increase of 42 per cent in sheltered homelessness between 2018 and 2022, representing an eight per cent increase on an annual basis.

Between the years 2022 and 2024, a 15 per cent increase was observed, which equates to an average annual increase of 10 per cent.

This type of census does not include homeless people who seek shelter in metro stations, 24-hour restaurants, or who sleep on the streets, in their cars, or in tents. It also does not include hidden homelessness, such as a homeless person who spends a few nights at an acquaintance’s house.

The ministry’s report, published Friday, reported that 9,307 homeless people were sheltered on the night of April 23, 2024. Nearly 42 per cent of the estimated number of sheltered homeless people were in Montreal.

To arrive at this total, a census of all service points offering shelter and housing to homeless people was conducted on the evening of April 23.

All regions of Quebec participated except Nunavik and the James Bay Cree Territories.

The report calculated that there were 623 service points across the province offering shelter and transitional housing to people experiencing homelessness, with a total of 12,451 spaces. The average occupancy rate was 85 per cent for shelters intended solely for homeless people.

A similar exercise was conducted for winter drop-ins. There were 55 drop-ins open during the 2023-2024 winter period, including 17 open on the night of April 23. These resources are counted on a voluntary basis.

The ministry indicates in its report that adjustments were made for non-participating resources.

The average occupancy rate for drop-ins was 106 per cent on the night of April 23. In Montreal, the nighttime temperature was approximately 4 degrees Celsius that night. The ministry points out in its report that the total number of estimated homeless people does not include those experiencing hidden homelessness, those in outdoor settings, or those sheltered, such as in encampments.

“Statistical adjustments must be made to compare this number with the results of previous censuses,” the report states.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 4, 2025.

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