Annie Rainville

Annie Rainville is a 55-year-old queer woman who spent 12 years without stable housing, navigating shelters, squats, and life on the streets. In addition to her direct experience with homelessness, Annie holds a Bachelor’s in Psychoeducation, with a focus on research.

For the past three years, she has worked as a Harm Reduction Officer for the Association québécoise pour la promotion de la santé des utilisateurs de drogues (AQPSUD), designing prevention tools for STBBIs by and for incarcerated individuals.

Annie has been part of Les Parrfaites (Pairs aidantes de la rue à la recherche au féminin) for over a decade. The group originated from a participatory research project with the Université de Montréal’s School of Social Work, led by Jacinthe Rivard and Céline Bellot. Following an inspiring conference, the women continued their advocacy through awareness-raising and mobilization efforts across diverse audiences.