Summary#
Montréal city council unanimously set the city’s position in favour of adopting a mechanism to accept private donations for homelessness-related projects. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. The stated goal, according to city staff, is to add private contributions to public funding for housing, shelter and social-coexistence initiatives.
- Donations would support projects in Montréal under two broad areas: housing and shelter; and prevention, support, pathways out of homelessness, and social coexistence.
- Donors would not be able to designate a specific project. City decision-making bodies would authorize how funds are assigned, based on their responsibilities and the project’s nature.
- The City may refuse some donations. The executive committee would authorize the allocation of donated funds by resolution.
- Donations would be added to existing budgets to support future projects carried out by the City.
What it means for you#
- Private donors: You could contribute money to the mechanism, but could not direct it to a specific project. The City may refuse a contribution.
- Organizations and projects: Eligible work would need to take place in Montréal and fit one of the two areas. Examples include emergency or transitional shelter, transitional or permanent housing with support services, homelessness prevention, camp improvements, social mediation, and support to leave homelessness.
- People experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness: The mechanism is intended to support projects for you, but it does not promise a particular service, housing place, or amount of funding.
- City residents: This decision does not create a new tax or require residents to donate.
Money#
City staff say adopting the donation model would have no impact on the City’s budget; no amount of donations or operating costs is provided.
- Private contributions would be added to existing budgets and used for future City projects.
- The City says existing decision processes will track and document how donations are used.
What is unclear#
- The materials do not set out detailed rules for accepting or refusing donations, or explain how the City will apply its stated principles of integrity and transparency.
- No minimum or maximum donation, fundraising target, or expected amount of private contributions is given.
- The materials do not say how projects will be chosen, how competing needs will be weighed, or what information about donations and spending will be made public.
- The City says the mechanism will be put into operation, but gives no timeline or estimate of staffing and administrative costs.
Case for#
- City staff say growing homelessness and pressure on existing resources make more funding useful. Private donations could add to public investment without requiring donors to choose individual projects.
- The two areas cover both housing and shelter, and support such as prevention, mediation, and help leaving homelessness.
- City staff say existing decision processes will oversee allocation and document how the funds are used.
Case against#
- Because donors cannot designate projects, they may have limited information about which specific work their contributions support.
- The City may refuse donations, but the materials do not explain the criteria. They also do not spell out how the City will ensure transparency and integrity in practice.
- The stated lack of budget impact concerns adoption of the donation model; the materials do not estimate the costs of operating it or the amount of funding it might bring in.