Our impact

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Message from our President and CEO

Over the past few years, we have seen major changes on the ground in our city: more homelessness, a more diverse population experiencing homelessness, the proliferation of encampments in public spaces, and the increase of homelessness in residential neighbourhoods. These trends were confirmed by the results of the provincial homelessness count released in the fall of 2023.

On the night of October 11, 2022, 4,690 people were experiencing visible homelessness in Montreal, a 33% increase over 2018.

To adjust to this new landscape, we have reviewed our strategic positioning and our priorities. Our goal now is to break the cycle of homelessness by working on three fronts: prevention, emergency services and rehousing.

But this is just the beginning. We need to continue improving our approach, adding new programs, with the help of our valued partners, and offering sustainable solutions.

James Hughes
President and CEO

Prevention

With the worsening housing crisis and rising cost of living, homelessness prevention needs are growing. To meet these needs, the Old Brewery Mission continued building partnerships during the year and launched both individual and structural projects aimed at preventing homelessness. Through our efforts, we were able to support more people and reach new populations at risk of homelessness.

Statistics

During 2023-2024, our Prevention Service received four times as many requests for support for people at imminent risk of homelessness as in the previous year.

  • 382

    requests for assistance

  • 155

    people found housing

  • 64

    days on average to find a housing solution

Our social brokerage approach

Over the past year, the Prevention Service’s approach was refined. Since its inception, we have relied on community partners both to identify people at imminent risk of homelessness and to rehouse them when necessary.

The Prevention Service is at the centre of this ecosystem, acting as a social broker that connects our partners in the Detection Network with those in the Rehousing Network. Our staff provide targeted support on the path to permanent housing or a temporary safe, stable environment.

Photo d'un homme avec un porte-clés autour du cou.

New program with the OMHM

In the fall, the Old Brewery Mission and the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM) jointly launched the Porte-clés project, a program designed to prevent homelessness in concrete ways. It identifies low-rent housing (better known as HLM) tenants who are at risk of eviction.

Under the Porte-clés program, our prevention team works swiftly with these tenants to help them stay in their homes or safely rehouse them.

The pre-eviction approach is a new way in which our Prevention Service is working concretely to prevent homelessness among at-risk people.

Learn more

Q-HPPC: Fruitful collaboration

The Québec Homelessness Prevention Policy Collaborative (Q-HPPC) is a partnership between the Old Brewery Mission and McGill’s Department of Equity, Ethics, and Policy. Its goal is to promote legal and public policy reform to prevent homelessness in Quebec.

Preventing homelessness among people involved with the criminal justice system

In October 2023, Q-HPPC released its Preventing homelessness resulting from contact with justice and correctional services Report. It contains 10 recommendations for public authorities to prevent homelessness among people involved with the criminal justice system. The recommendations focused on vulnerability factors and are organized around three themes—supporting people, building service-level capacity and promoting access to services on an intersectoral basis—and one cross-cutting theme: incorporating the experiential knowledge of people involved with the justice system.

Read the report

Q-HPPC annual conference

Photo d'un groupe de travail prise lors de la conférence organisée conjointement entre le CQPI, l'Université McGill et la Mission Old Brewery en 2023.

On May 4 and 5, 2023, Q-HPPC, in collaboration with McGill University’s Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy and the Old Brewery Mission, held its annual conference on the theme of Preventing homelessness: from evidence to policy. In all, 125 people from all walks of life, both academic and community-based, attended to discuss recommendations and pass them on to policy-makers.

Find out more about our prevention services

Emergency services

With homelessness on the rise, emergency services remain essential to provide immediate assistance to people in need and to set them on the path to rehousing. During the year, we added several projects to our services to provide a long-term response to the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

Improved Outreach Services

  • Un homme reçoit des soins à l'intérieur de la clinique mobile de la Mission Old Brewery.

    Outreach to people living in public spaces

    On April 12, 2023 was launched the Old Brewery Mission mobile clinic, powered by TELUS Health. The mobile support team reaches out to people experiencing homelessness that are living in public spaces and offers services to help them get off the street.  

    People living in public spaces are a particularly vulnerable and marginalized population who, for a variety of reasons, do not use shelters  

    Between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, the mobile support team made almost 2,700 interventions. Three people were able to move directly from the street into housing thanks to this service. 

    Learn more
  • Photo d'un client du Café Mission Keurig.

    Café Mission Keurig: Open 24/7

    Since January 2024, Café Mission has been open 24/7! For more than 10 years, Café Mission has served a diverse population consisting mainly of people who don’t go to shelters. The drop-in centre is a safe space where they can rest and access essential services. 

    Keeping Café Mission Keurig open 24/7 meets a real need among people living in public spaces and makes it possible to serve more people every day.  

    Café Mission received 77,274 visits during the year, leading to 105 admissions to our emergency shelters.  

    Find out more

  • New relocation service

    During the year, we set up a new pilot project for Montreal’s entire homelessness sector: the Projet d’aide à la relocalisation rapide (rapid relocation support project—PARR). Homelessness organizations can consult this new online platform to see which participating emergency shelters have beds available.  

    At a time when most shelters are full almost every day, this project brings together in one place the essential information needed by intervention teams trying to find accommodations for people experiencing homelessness. As of March 31, 12 organizations were listed in PARR. 

Photo Conrad et Nicholas Singcaster, intervenant au suivi psychosocial à bord de la clinique mobile, dans le nouveau logement de Conrad.
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Conrad et Nicholas Singcaster, intervenant au suivi psychosocial à bord de la clinique mobile, dans le nouveau logement de Conrad.
Testimony

Meet Conrad

Conrad spent three years living in a tent in Rosemont. Then he met Nicholas, a mobile clinic outreach worker who regularly visited his encampment to provide basic services. After a long hospital stay in the fall of 2023, Conrad finally accepted Nicholas’s help. Nicholas began the home-hunting process and Conrad moved into an apartment in early March 2024.

Conrad and Nicholas Singcaster, psychosocial support worker with the mobile clinic, in Conrad’s new home.

Shelter transformation

Homeless shelters are often dormitories with dozens of beds, an environment that is not ideal for people trying to get off the streets.

At the Old Brewery Mission, we wanted to do things differently and replace the dorms with private or semi-private rooms. This has now been done at our two emergency pavilions.

The primary goal of the new approach is to promote faster reaffiliation, thereby easing the transition to stable housing.

At the Patricia Mackenzie Pavilion, the work was done in the fall of 2023 and residents moved into the space in December 2023. Similar work began in early 2024 at the Webster Pavilion and was still in progress as of March 31, 2024. By the end of 2024, all people admitted to our emergency shelters will be accommodated in private or semi-private rooms.

Photo of a room in the Patricia Mackenzie Pavilion.
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Photo credit: Catherine Ledoux Photographie and Alex Shield Design 

After only a few weeks, staff observed a change in the atmosphere and in cohabitation at the facility. Residents also report that the new layout has had beneficial effects: they sleep better and feel less anxious, calmer and more rested.

Learn more

Emergency services by the numbers

Every year, we welcome hundreds of people into our emergency accommodation services.

  • 574

    men stayed at the Webster Pavilion

  • 567

    different stays at Hôtel-Dieu Hospital

  • 170

    women or non-binary people benefited from services at the Patricia Mackenzie Pavilion

Photo of a resident of Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu with her cat.
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Photo credit: SPCA – Audrey Loiselle 

Special partnership

Animals and shelters

The Montreal SPCA, an important partner of our Hôtel-Dieu pavilion, cares for the pets of Hôtel-Dieu residents through its community programs. In a special collaboration, SPCA staff came to the site in March to photograph the residents and their pets, highlighting the value of human-animal relationships for people who often suffer from social isolation.

Find out more about our emergency services

Rehousing

At the Old Brewery Mission, we offer a range of housing solutions to meet the diverse needs of our residents. With our housing portfolio expanding across the city, our Housing Support Service revamped its operations during the year to make it easier for our staff to move around the city and to optimize efficiency across the board.

Additions to our housing portfolio

  • Photo de la Résidence Bash Shetty.

    Résidence Bash Shetty

    On May 1, 2023, the Résidence Bash Shetty officially opened its doors to welcome its first residents. In all, 24 residents moved in over the following months, giving everyone time to settle in.  

    The building was purchased by the Old Brewery Mission in 2021 and renovations began in 2022 to transform the former hotel into a community housing project. Each unit has its own bathroom. Residents share kitchens, living rooms and patios.

    Learn more
  • Photo of the Dézéry project.
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    Photo credit: Ville de Montréal – Sylvain Légaré 

    Dézéry Project

    On May 1, 2023, the first residents moved into the Dézéry project, a new housing complex owned by the Société d’habitation populaire de l’Est de Montréal . Our supportive housing team provides psychosocial support and individual guidance to residents, according to their needs.  

    Over the course of the year, the majority of Dézéry residents achieved a high degree of housing stability, confirming the benefit and success of community housing projects with psychosocial support.  

    Learn more

Preserving affordable housing

The Old Brewery Mission is pleased to have been mandated by the City of Montreal to manage two new rooming houses acquired by the City using its pre-emptive right.

Together, our community housing development, maintenance and supportive housing teams are working to bring stability to the buildings and their residents. A new supportive housing program, Épiloge, has been set up for this new project.

Rooming houses are often the last resort before homelessness and the first step to getting off the street. It is therefore important to preserve these affordable and accessible housing units for the most vulnerable people in our city.

Housing construction

During 2023-2024, we launched two new construction projects, located in the non-central Montreal boroughs of Lachine and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, to expand and diversify our housing network.

  • Tenaquip Place

    Tenaquip Place is an 18-unit mixed temporary housing project in Lachine. It will be the first project in the borough reserved for people exiting homelessness and will help meet the growing needs outside the downtown core.

  • Mirella and Lino Saputo Pavilion

    The Mirella and Lino Saputo Pavilion, scheduled to open in the fall of 2024, will be dedicated to people over 50 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This aging population is particularly vulnerable to housing crises and homelessness.

Rehousing by the numbers

In 2023-2024, the Rehousing Service supported many people on their path to autonomy and residential stability.

  • 462

    people assisted by our Supportive Housing Service

  • 192

    people moved into housing during the year

  • 81

    new homes under Old Brewery Mission management

Photo de Mario, résident de la Résidence Bash Shetty.
Testimonial

Meet Mario

Mario moved into the Résidence Bash Shetty when it opened on May 1, 2023. During the past year, he faced serious health challenges. He was found unconscious in his bedroom by a neighbour, who called emergency services. Mario took the situation seriously and, with the support of his counsellor, succeeded in stabilizing his health, although it is still shaky.

Since moving into the Résidence Bash Shetty, Mario has reestablished relationships with his family, sisters and children, with whom he had been out of touch during his period of homelessness. With the help of his counsellor and neighbours, he has regained housing stability and is gradually reaffiliating.

If Mario had been on the street on the day of his health incident, he might not be here to talk about it.

Find out more about our rehousing services

Research and data

The Old Brewery Mission is growing, offering more services and reaching more people experiencing homelessness in Montreal. This growth requires the professionalization of our services. We have therefore implemented a business intelligence strategy to better evaluate our services and inform our decision-making. This new function complements our long-established Research Department.

  • Rent bank research project

    The Old Brewery Mission is increasingly focused on working preventatively with households at risk of homelessness to reduce the number of people who end up on the street. To help define the strategic direction of these programs, the Research Department has initiated a study of rent banks. It is looking at models of emergency financial assistance provided to households at risk of eviction for non-payment of rent. The results will inform our choice of the best formula for our organization and our clients.

  • Substance abuse and access to homelessness services

    During the year, the Research Department continued its research on the experience of unhoused people who have substance abuse issues. The Old Brewery Mission hopes to use the results of this research project to develop temporary and permanent housing programs tailored to these clients. Some 30 people experiencing homelessness who use drugs were interviewed by the research team, and six of them then did a follow-up interview to further explore their comments.

Human Resources

  • New collective agreement signed

    On April 11, 2023, the Old Brewery Mission signed a new collective agreement with its union. During the year, the Human Resources team and the union worked to implement the new terms and conditions, including the monetary clauses, adjustments to vacation time, recognition of prior experience and standardization of staff training.

  • Internal forums

    The strong growth that the Old Brewery Mission has experienced in recent years called for a review of internal communications. Several new strategies were implemented during the year, including semi-annual forums attended by all employees. The first was held in September 2023 and the second in March 2024. These forums are an opportunity to update attendees on the organization’s activities, discuss recent projects and take the pulse of the situation on the ground.

New standardized onboarding process

To comply with the new terms of the collective agreement, the Old Brewery Mission has set up a standardized onboarding process for all staff.

  • 140

    staff received induction training

  • 1120

    training hours

Stronger together

Major campaign launch

In the summer of 2023, the Old Brewery Mission launched its 2023-2028 major fundraising campaign under the theme “Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness.” The goal is to raise $50 million to sustain operations and enhance services over the next five years. The donations will enable the Old Brewery Mission to continue providing innovative solutions to the homelessness crisis, as outlined in its new 2023-2028 strategic plan.

Learn more
Photo of participants in the 2023 Ken Reed Golf Tournament.
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From left to right : Lynne Dupuis, James Hughes (Old Brewery Mission), Michael Fitzgerald (Executive Director of The Tenaquip Foundation), Jim Wilson, Paula Shannon, Diane Drury, John Castellarin and James Ross (members of the organizing committee).

Golf Tournament

The 20th edition of the Ken Reed Golf Tournament, sponsored by The Tenaquip Foundation, was held in August 2023. More than a hundred golfers gathered at the Beaconsfield Golf Club to enjoy a day on the greens and support the Old Brewery Mission.

The event raised $275,468 for the Old Brewery Mission’s programs and services, including rehousing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Become a partner

Our donors

Thank you to all our donors! Your unwavering generosity makes it possible for us to pursue our mission of breaking the cycle of homelessness by helping thousands of vulnerable people in Montreal every year.

Builders (200 000 $ et plus)

147015 Canada Inc
Fondation J.A. DeSève
Fondation Mirella et Lino Saputo
La Fondation Marcelle et Jean Coutu
Liverant, Lloyd
National Bank of Canada
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The Rossy Foundation

Leaders (100 000 $ à 199 999 $)

Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Colin J Adair Charitable Foundation
Fondation J.-Louis Lévesque
Garcia, Claude
Lesters Food Limited
Mongeau Family Foundation
Montréal Hôtels & Suites
Roy, Maria S.

Ambassadors (20 000 $ à 99 999 $)

Abramson, David
Audet, Louis
CIBC World Markets
CLV Group
CN
Cohen, Morrie
Dalfen Family Foundation
De Granpré, Lilianne
Deschamps, Claude & Barrette, Brigitte
Eric T. Webster Foundation
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Fondation Jacques et Michel Auger
Fondation Véromyka
Gosselin Family Foundation
Groupe Park Avenue inc.
Hébert, Mary Pat
Hydro-Québec
Industrial Alliance
J. Armand Bombardier Foundation
John Patrick Colfer Family Foundation
Métro-Richelieu
Opal International Inc.*
RMR Association Quebec Br. 14 - The Poppy Trust Fund
The Adair Family Foundation
The George Hogg Family Foundation
The John Dobson Foundation
The Oka & Grégoire Foundation
The Palmer Family
The William & Nancy Turner Foundation
The Zeller Family Foundation
WSP Global Inc.

Patrons (10 000 $ à 19 999 $)

Abbey, Arthur G.
Allstate Insurance Company of Canada
Classic Woodwork Inc.
Fergus Foundation
Five B Family Foundation
Fondation Famille Marc Thériault
Fondation Lise et Richard Fortin
Fondation Serge et Rollande Archambault
Fondation Sibylla Hesse
George A. Hall Inc.
Gilmour, Allan
Hanson Family Foundation
Jeff and Geraldine Hart Family Foundation
La Fondation Denise et Guy St-Germain
Les Oeuvres LeRoyer
Matheson, Anne D.
Mawer Investment Management Ltd
Morgan Stanley
Novirtus Transport Inc.
Pacholuk, Zenovij
Pointe Claire Legion Branch 57
R. Howard Webster Foundation
Raymond James Canada Foundation
Shannon, David & Valerie
Soutar Family
The Hay Foundation
The James Barriere Foundation
The Lederman Foundation
The Newall Family Foundation Trust
The W. P. Scott Charitable Foundation
Trottier, Marc
Uniformes Moderna

Our impact 2023-2024

Learn more about our activities over the past year.

Read the full report Consult detailed statistics
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