Cri du cœur by Valérie Plante for social housing

Faced with this unprecedented housing crisis, the mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, today urges Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau and François Legault through a letter to reach an agreement quickly so that the sums intended for social housing are released to help dozens of families in need.

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“For nearly three years now, negotiations have been taking place between your governments in order to reach a bilateral agreement on housing in Quebec. Given the current situation, I would like to call on you directly so that an agreement can be reached quickly. The housing crisis hits particularly hard in Montreal this year. Too many Montreal families simply cannot find adequate housing, while respecting their budget. For many, the situation is dramatic. […]

“The combination of these two crises, which particularly affect vulnerable populations, will inevitably lead to glaring humanitarian situations, as we are currently seeing with the camp erected near rue Notre-Dame, in the district of Mercier – Hochelaga- Maisonneuve. It is imperative to act quickly so that the lack of adequate and affordable housing does not lead, in the coming years, to an increase in this type of situation, ”she writes.

She adds that the solution lies in the construction of social and affordable housing to meet the immense needs.

“It is inconceivable that Quebec is the only province not to have benefited from federal funding for housing, while $ 1.4 billion is lying dormant in the coffers of the Government of Canada. It is time to conclude this agreement so that we are finally able to accommodate Montrealers. All of the country’s major cities, except those in Quebec, have access to housing funds, while in our region, the needs are more pressing than ever. On behalf of the dozens of Montreal households who no longer have a roof over their heads and who have had to resolve to live on the streets, I ask you to quickly reach an agreement so that we can move forward with the construction of hundreds of housing units. social networks that have been overdue for years now. We have already had to face a health crisis this year, let’s make sure to avoid a humanitarian crisis. ”