Nuit des Sans-Abri rally tonight calls attention to homelessness amid housing crisis

Montreal is holding Nuit des Sans-Abri (Night of the Homeless) tonight, Friday, October 16, with a series of events across the city aimed at raising awareness of the realities faced by people experiencing homelessness.

The main rally begins at 1:00 p.m. at Square Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier, a few minutes' walk from Place-Saint-Henri metro. A solidarity march will depart approximately 1:30 p.m., traveling along Notre-Dame Street to Atwater Avenue, where organizers have scheduled a speech before the march continues to Lionel-Groulx metro station.

Organizers cite economic circumstances and housing insecurity amid an ongoing housing crisis as driving the event's focus. The rally is designed to generate political pressure on the issue — community groups have been demanding that Quebec parties make homelessness a priority since before the October election, and Québec solidaire has proposed a homelessness "superminister" to centralize government action. Earlier, Premier Fréchette committed to convening a homelessness summit in spring 2027 with a multi-stakeholder plan.

Media have been invited to participate in tonight's events, though specific details about other events happening throughout the city have not been disclosed.