Plante says Quebec budget ignores Montreal's housing needs
As with all budgets, there are critics. The mayor of Montreal says she only had two requests of the Quebec government and one of them was ignored.
Despite new buildings going up in Montreal, Mayor Valerie Plante says it's harder than ever for some people to find a place to live.
"The needs for housing in Montreal [are] crazy," she said Wednesday.
- READ MORE: Quebec budget 2023-2024: Here are the highlights
In the lead-up to the budget, money for housing was one of only two demands made by the city. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Montreal's vacancy rate is less than three per cent.
There is money in the budget to build affordable units in the province, but as for social housing the mayor says there's just enough money to cover the backlog of units waiting to be built.
It still leaves 24,000 families waiting.
"I know there's going to be another crisis. Let's be honest," Plante said. "There's going to be more people in shelters, and shelters will ask for more resources from Quebec to make sure everyone is fed. We see it coming."
But Quebec Premier François Legault says it's not a money problem, it's bureaucracy.
"It's a question of finding the right plans, to give all the permits rapidly. So, the money is available. And the Minister of Finance — it's a bit funny, he's telling me, since two years, we're not able to spend the money," the premier said.
Housing was one of many criticisms in question period, with the opposition also taking aim at the income tax cuts, saying it doesn't provide enough savings for lower-income Quebecers because the more you earn, the more you get back.
"If that government wanted to help people, they would have helped the people at the bottom in priority," said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesperson of Québec Solidaire.
Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was also critical of the provincial budget.
We learn this morning that the inflation at the grocery store is still at 10 per cent. So, how àre low-income persons or families going to cope with such an important inflation with a tax cut that is worth $200?" the PQ leader said in Quebec City.
Quebec Liberal Finance Critic Frédéric Beauchemin said, "A three per cent increase of the solidarity credit is like $8. If you're making $20,000 a year, it's ridiculous."
For the mayor's part, she wants to put together a so-called tactical team to figure out how to solve the lack of housing without the province's help.
"Housing is often the last element before you lose everything," she said, adding that the Quebec government should be treating housing as a fundamental right.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.