KM is experiencing homelessness. She has been cycled through short-term emergency shelters in Montreal, meaning that she has not been able to stay in a single place for more than 5 days in a row. For months, she has been asking shelter staff to help her access long term housing but has been told 'no' every time. Recently, a social worker gave her a list of emergency warming stations (with chairs and no beds) in response to her request for housing.

KM is in her seventies and lives with serious health complications. She relies on a pacemaker and a mobility aid. She is an immigrant and came to Montreal to flee violence.

For about $30 each day, KM could stay in a hostel. Especially needed during this coldest time of the year, a hostel stay would mean that KM would not need to pack up her belonings and move to different sites every few days. It would save her time outside in harsh winter conditions and give her a break from the instability and violence that the shelter routine often entails.

In Montreal, there is a deficit of about 2,618 beds in the community housing network. This means that there are about 2,618 more people facing homelessness than there are beds available across the city's shelters, group homes, and transitional housing units. While she navigates the shelter system, KM is at constant risk of being denied a bed for lack of space in any given shelter. For $30 a day, KM can be certain that she will have a safe place to stay.

Note: the banner image is not directly related to KM's story. The image belongs to APTN. https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/number-of-indigenous-people-who-are-homeless-in-montreal-is-on-the-rise/