The so-called “wet shelter” is part of a three-year, $7.8-million plan the city announced Wednesday to help its homeless population. There is also a goal of building about 950 social housing units designed to help people get off — and stay off — the street. Montreal is set to join other Canadian cities in offering a space where homeless people suffering from alcoholism can drink in a controlled environment. The plan to build 950 housing units is an “objective,” he said, and the budget still needs to be negotiated with other levels of government. The concept of a “wet shelter,” Lareault said, “is a resource that welcomes alcoholics without having a goal of stopping them from drinking.

Source: thestar March 07, 2018 20:14 UTC