Quebec announces $280-million plan to improve services for homeless population
Quebec is investing $280 million over the next five years to improve services for the province's homeless population.
Calling it an "ambitious" action plan for Quebec, Junior Health Minister Lionel Carmant and Minister Responsible for Montreal Chantal Rouleau announced the new funding at a news conference in Montreal Monday morning.
The largest chunk of money ($77 million) that is being invested is going toward supporting people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
Approximately $14 million is also being applied to projects aimed at reducing homelessness for Indigenous people.
Three main themes are at the heart of the initiative: prevention, intervention and collaboration with community organizations. Carmant said the plan is ready to be rolled out right away across the province with several partners.
Here is a breakdown of where the rest of the money is going:
- $34 million for the Youth Qualification Program
- $53 million for emergency shelters, with $10 million set aside for services specific to women
- $40 million to address addition services for people who experience homelessness
- $11 million in support to improve the "economic and socio-professional situation" of the most affected population
- $17 million for intervention practices and campaigns to raise awareness about homelessness
Carmant said the plan is in response to an increase of people experiencing homelessness in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Some people can go very quickly [into homelessness], especially in the past two years, because of the people who lost their house because of COVID and lost their jobs, but some people are into a chronic situation of mental health issues and they need long-term accompaniment, bringing them into a house," Carmant said.
"Sometimes, it will not last forever, so we need to work again with them, and this is what the organizations do very well, and we help them do that on the long term," he added.
"This is why we believe that this plan is a very significant change from previous plans."
Rouleau said the plan is "extremely important" not just for Quebec but for Montreal.
"Homelessness doesn't just affect specific people; it's the whole of our Quebec society that it affects," she said.
During a Q & A with the media, Carmant mentioned one of the community organizations that would receive funding under the new plan, Projets Autochtones du Quebec, which offers services to Indigenous people experiencing housing insecurity in the Montreal area using a culturally sensitive approach.
In Montreal, there are an estimated 4,000 people who are homeless on a given night -- about twice as many as before the pandemic, according to some estimates.
It's why the top mayoral candidates have made eliminating homelesness and making housing more affordable one of their key priorities.
Ensemble Montreal mayoral candidate Denis Coderre promises 50,000 new units over four years, with 15 per cent of new construction with over 25 units reserved for social and community housing.
Mayoral candidate Valerie Plante has promised 60,000 affordable units over 10 years and to double the budget for homeless services to $6 million annually, while her other opponent, Balarama Holness, has argued that the city should get broader powers so it can build social housing without having to wait for the province to act.
ADVOCATES APPLAUD GOVERNMENT'S ACTION PLAN
Those who are on the front lines of care say the five-year action plan to fight homelessness goes further "than a roof over your head."
"The idea is to connect people back into the network of health care services. When you think of homlessness it's really an urban health-care issue. If people need shelter and need food, they won't be healthy," said Sam Watt, CEO of the Welcome Home Mission.
"People experiencing homelessness are often disconnected from these services."
The president and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission, James Hughes, told CTV News the plan will people who are in extreme poverty into housing on a sustainable basis.
Le Chainon's Sonya Cote was also pleased to learn there was money earmarked for women's shelters.
"It's a strong plan, one we've been waiting for for many many years," said Cote.
"It includes prevention, its good news and all questions of inclusion is discussed in that plan, with money. Thats a very good news for women."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.