Advocates Protested Trudeau's Housing Policy In Front Of His Montreal Campaign Office
"We can't be satisfied with half-measures."
Around 80 housing advocates gathered in front of Justin Trudeau's campaign office in Montreal on Tuesday to protest on behalf of social housing and against inadequate housing and what they say is Trudeau's "lack of commitment" on the issue.*
"The health crisis exposed the serious physical and mental health consequences for tenants in Mr. Trudeau's riding living in substandard overcrowded housing, and in particular for the development of children and the safety of abused women. One would hope that this would lead to greater interest on his part, but it didn't," Comité d'Action de Parc-Extension coordinator Amy Darwish said in a press release.
Crise du logement: @JustinTrudeau interpell\u00e9 sur les besoins urgents de logements sociaux dans sa circonscription\nHousing committees in his riding disappointed by the lack of commitments to improve the situation of tenant with urgent housing needs\nhttps://www.frapru.qc.ca/trudeau-la-crise-du-logement/\u00a0\u2026 #elxn44pic.twitter.com/byszHoV2yY— FRAPRU (@FRAPRU) 1631650603
FRAPRU and other housing advocate groups in Montreal have called on the government to "commit to a recurring investment of $3 billion per year to fund new social housing."
The investment would allow Quebec to build around 7,000 social housing units per year, according to FRAPRU.
Montreal's Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough has been at the centre of the social housing debate for quite some time.
Advocates claim thousands lived in unaffordable housing or housing that was too small before the pandemic.
"We already cannot rely on the private rental market to take care of low-income households, the response must be political, the State must take this on. This response requires social housing and we want clear commitments from Mr. Trudeau," Charles Castonguay, community organizer at the Association des Locataires de Villeray, said.
*This article has been updated.