From crisis to stability, with dignity and lasting support
At dawn, the cold had not yet lifted from the streets of Montreal. Mark, in his fifties, stood outside the doors of the Old Brewery Mission (OBM), clutching the last few belongings he had. He had just lost his apartment and had no idea where to go next.
He expected this place to be like other shelters, somewhere that might offer him a temporary bed for the night. Instead, the staff did not rush to assign him a place to sleep. They invited him to sit down, handed him a cup of hot tea, and gently asked about his health, whether he had friends he could contact, and what kind of work he had done before. This was not routine intake paperwork. It was an assessment meant to understand who he was.
“We want to help you find a place you can truly live in,” the staff told him. “Not send you back and forth between the street and a shelter.”
1. From Emergency Relief to Rebuilding: OBM’s Three-Step Pathway
In Montreal, thousands of people lose their housing every year due to job loss, illness, or rising rents. Traditional shelter models often provide short-term safety, but they rarely prevent people from returning to the streets.
OBM recognized that only a continuous system of support could break this cycle. Today, its services are organized into three connected pathways.
Step One: Early Prevention
Intervening before a crisis occurs by helping tenants facing eviction access legal aid, and assisting unemployed individuals with benefits applications or a return to work.
Step Two: Dignified Emergency Support
When people are forced onto the streets, OBM conducts immediate assessments and provides support based on urgency, ranging from private rooms to medical care, rather than crowded dormitories. The shelter serves as a safe entry point, not the end of the road.
Step Three: Rebuilding Long-Term Stability
Finding housing is not the end of the story. OBM continues with case management and community referrals to help residents stabilize their lives, so that having a roof can gradually become having a home.
Together, these three steps form a closed loop: preventing the fall, catching those who fall, and helping them stand firmly again.
2. What Change Looks Like in Practice
Among OBM’s many programs, the Ancrâge Program is especially representative. Designed for adults aged 50 and over who are at high risk of homelessness, the program takes a proactive approach. Social workers coordinate housing, healthcare, and social resources on participants’ behalf. In 2024 alone, 208 older adults moved into stable housing within an average of 98 days.
OBM’s mobile medical unit conducts nearly 8,000 street outreach visits each year. These visits provide immediate physical and mental health support to people sleeping rough and help reconnect them with the broader support system.
At the Saputo Pavilion, a residence designed specifically for older adults, residents have access to safe housing, gardens, shared spaces, and on-site support teams. What is rebuilt is not only daily life, but also dignity and social connection.
3. A Wider Relay: The Community’s Second Safety Net
No single organization can do this work alone. After OBM, Welcome Hall Mission supports the next stage of the journey: community integration.
Through food banks, employment counseling, financial education, and volunteer programs, Welcome Hall Mission helps people who have secured housing reconnect with society. From OBM to Welcome Hall Mission, support does not stop at receiving the keys. It continues until individuals regain a steady rhythm of life.
4. Mark’s New Beginning
Following his assessment, Mark was enrolled in a Housing First program. The team helped him apply for an affordable apartment suitable for older adults and arranged temporary accommodation in the meantime.
Ninety-eight days later, he moved into his new home. Volunteers helped him carry furniture and set up the space. Social workers checked in regularly, helping him get to know the neighborhood and meet people nearby. Later, with support from Welcome Hall Mission, Mark joined skills workshops and community volunteer activities, gradually rebuilding his social circle.
He was no longer just someone receiving help, but a member of the community.
5. You Can Be Part of the Change
To make every housing crisis the last one, society as a whole must be involved.
Protect the first step: Volunteer with programs like Ancrâge to help individuals and families before a crisis occurs.
Support critical moments: Donate daily necessities or outreach kits to bring dignity to emergency shelters and street outreach.
Strengthen belonging: Donate transit passes or grocery vouchers, or volunteer with Welcome Hall Mission to help new residents integrate into their communities.
Spread hope: Share stories like this one to highlight solutions that go beyond temporary charity and focus on lasting impact.
On the streets of Montreal, there are still many people like Mark once was, unsure of where they will sleep tonight. But as organizations like the Old Brewery Mission and Welcome Hall Mission work together, another possibility comes into view. It is a system built on dignity, accompaniment, and hope, with a simple goal: to ensure that every experience of homelessness becomes the last one.
About the Writer: Chuyu Yan is a Sociology and Book & Media Studies student at the University of Toronto. Passionate about exploring the social factors behind mental health and inequality, she uses storytelling to make complex ideas accessible and relatable. With experience in research, writing, and media creation, Chuyu aims to highlight unseen social dynamics and amplify voices often overlooked, connecting readers through empathy, clarity, and reflection.
Photo Credit: Cottonbro Studio
