Interview with Marjolaine Despars, Special Projects Manager in the Housing Support Services Department

What were you doing before you joined the team at the Old Brewery Mission?

Before stepping into my current role as Head of Special Projects (HSS), I had been working in homelessness and housing for about 20 years. I started my career at the Réseau d’aide aux personnes seules et itinérantes de Montréal (RAPSIM), where I worked for 11 years as an Assistant Coordinator. I advocated to raise awareness of how important it is for people experiencing homelessness to get social housing with community support. I wrote briefs for government consultations and spoke out publicly about the issues.

After that, I worked for the City of Montreal as a Development and Housing Advisor. I was responsible for developing projects tailored to populations experiencing homelessness and served as an advisor to management.
Before joining the Old Brewery Mission, I worked at CAP St-Barnabé as an Assistant General Manager. CAP St-Barnabé offers emergency shelter, social housing and a day centre in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

Why dedicate your working life to homelessness?

Since finishing university, I’ve always had jobs that were related to homelessness and housing. What motivated me from the start was the possibility of defending the rights of the most vulnerable, helping find concrete solutions for their needs and making their voices heard. Too often, these people aren’t heard, and it’s this commitment to represent them and support them that guided my involvement in the sector.
I completed a bachelor’s degree in sociology at UQAM, with a minor in feminist studies. I also took a post-graduate program in education, specifically college-level teaching.

What kinds of responsibilities do you have?

It’s a new position, created last March. My role is to make sure there’s clear coordination between the different departments. For example, I make sure that rent renewals are scheduled at specific times to facilitate the teams’ work, especially the finance teams in HSS.

I also act as a liaison between the teams. For example, I’ve developed a glossary of housing-related terms to ensure that we’re using the same language across the organization. Additionally, I collaborate closely with the maintenance team; we meet once a month to determine priorities in housing maintenance.

I head other projects, too. For example, I coordinate the collection of testimonials from our clientele for our various communications initiatives, such as official openings, social media and the annual report.

Why did you choose the Old Brewery Mission?

I think that it’s a very comprehensive organization that offers a broad range of services, from prevention to rehousing, with emergency intervention when needed. The Old Brewery Mission’s vision for homelessness, especially when it involves coming up with housing solutions adapted to the clientele’s needs, is exactly what I was looking for. For what I want to be doing in my work, joining the housing support team was a natural step.

Are there any projects you’ve been particularly proud of since your arrival at the Old Brewery Mission?

The opening of the Monk Pavilion will always be a big moment for me. To have been able to contribute to this project and see the people who are living there today, wow! Even after 20 years, it still bowls me over. It’s a massive source of pride to see that our collective efforts have enabled people to access housing and transform their lives in such a major way. I’ve been part of many projects over the years, but every time I talk with the tenants, it’s always a deeply gratifying achievement.