It's really varied. Having worked in Montreal and patrolled the poorest neighbourhoods, I can say that gentrification has taken place. There were people who were struggling to make ends meet at the end of the month because of the rising cost of living, poverty, housing renovations and evictions. These are people who were already struggling to get by.
Some of these people were getting organized; they were on welfare, but they couldn't make ends meet. A welfare benefit is $865 for one person, whereas a one-bedroom unit costs $1,100. The solution was to share an apartment, but when people fought, they came back to the shelter.
There are also a lot of homeless seniors. When people get to the shelter, they're always a bit distant from their family. If they come to La Halte du coin, it's because something was wrong before they arrived. Whether it's a 93‑year‑old, a young person who has just left a youth centre or someone who can no longer afford their housing, we really want to direct them to organizations, such as L'Antre-Temps. We naturally accept young people, but there are a lot more young people and seniors who need support. I'll give the example of a couple where one spouse was visually impaired; a worker would walk around with that spouse, but that would monopolize one person. That image is unbelievable and shocking.
Ms. Favreau, do you want to add anything about the new faces of homelessness?