Summary#
Montréal city council approved a 12-month services contract with L’Anonyme U.I.M. for work at the Notre-Dame encampment area in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough. The city’s stated goal is to improve safety, cleanliness and relations between people living in the encampments and the surrounding community.
- The city awarded the contract directly, rather than through a call for tenders, and approved a services agreement with the organization.
- The work includes regular on-site outreach, identifying and preventing safety and cleanliness risks, building trust, coordinating with community and institutional partners, and supporting the city’s cleanliness and community-relations work.
- The contract is for 12 months, starting in May 2026 and ending no later than May 2027. City staff say the minimum number of on-site days per week will be set with the city.
What it means for you#
- People living in the encampments: The organization is to provide ongoing outreach and help identify risks. The decision does not create a new right or set out a process for removing people or their belongings.
- Nearby residents and people using the area: The work is intended to address safety, cleanliness and community-relations concerns. Those are goals, not guaranteed results.
- The city: It must pay for the contract and coordinate with the organization on the services.
Money#
The contract costs $412,000, taxes included if applicable.
- City staff say the amount is budgeted through the Service de la diversité et de l’inclusion sociale and will be paid entirely by the central city.
- City staff say the expense has no impact on the city’s financial framework. No separate estimate of administrative or other costs is provided.
What is unclear#
- The contract agreement and its detailed terms are not included in the materials.
- The minimum number of on-site days per week remains to be set with the city.
- The materials do not set out specific performance measures or how results will be assessed.
- The city awarded the contract directly; the materials do not provide competing bids or a comparison with other providers.
Case for#
- City staff describe an urgent need to respond to risks at the site and say L’Anonyme’s ongoing presence there since February 2026 has built local knowledge and trust.
- A single organization doing outreach and coordinating with city, community and emergency-service partners could support a more continuous response. City staff say this may help prevent incidents and reduce emergency interventions.
Case against#
- The direct award provides no bid comparison in the available materials, so readers cannot assess how the price or provider compares with alternatives.
- The number of weekly on-site days and the measures for judging performance are not yet specified, making the scope and results harder to assess.