MONTREAL — Montreal’s city council has voted down a motion brought by a pair of Independent city councillors seeking to have a state of emergency declared over the city’s homelessness situation.

Mayor Valérie Plante says councillors agree that the high number of unhoused people is an urgent concern but declaring a state of emergency would not help.

The motion submitted by council members Craig Sauvé and Serge Sasseville was defeated Monday night in a 32-26 vote.

Earlier this month, Plante called on the provincial and federal governments to reach a deal to free up what she said is $100 million promised to help provide shelter and other support to the province’s homeless population.

A state of emergency would have given council more powers, including allowing the city to requisition privately owned accommodation for shelter spaces, but the governing Projet Montréal said it would be largely symbolic.

Robert Beaudry, a Projet Montréal councillor representing a downtown district, said adopting a state of emergency would put more pressure on the city to manage new resources without any additional manpower or money.

He says everyone needs to do their part in dealing with homelessness — including the province and Ottawa.

A growing number of cities across Canada have declared states of emergency in recent years over homelessness, including Edmonton, Toronto and Hamilton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 19, 2024.

The Canadian Press