Housing crisis: elected officials dismayed by Minister Laforest’s statement

After reacting to Minister Laforest’s remarks via her Twitter account on Tuesday, the MNA for Rouyn-Noranda-Témiscamingue, Émilise Lessard-Therrien, took advantage of Wednesday morning’s question period in the National Assembly to ask for recognition by the Minister of the existence of a housing crisis in the region.

The supportive MP for Rouyn-Noranda-Témiscamingue, Émilise Lessard-Therrien.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Michel Cotnoir

Is the Minister of Housing aware that there is a housing shortage everywhere in Abitibi-Témiscamingue? The vacancy rate is 0.3% in Rouyn-Noranda, 1.1% in Amos, 2.2% in Val-d’Or, 0.2% in La Sarre. There are no accommodations. With the figures we have just given her, can the minister stand up and tell the people of Abitibi-Témiscamingue that there is a housing crisis in the region?

” Mr. Chairman, this government is simply disconnected from our reality. »

In response to Émilise Lessard-Therrien, Minister Andrée Laforest preferred to emphasize the importance of continuing the work to increase the supply of housing throughout Quebec rather than recognizing the existence of a crisis.

If the colleague wants me to say yes, I will say yes, but the important thing is to increase the supply and that is what we are doing. The regions we named yesterday are the nine regions with a vacancy rate below 1%. I can’t say that there is a crisis in a region when the Housing Office says “no Mrs. Laforest, we don’t have a crisis”she argues.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Andrée Laforest.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Steven Tremblay

Andrée Laforest also affirms that her government has unblocked housing projects who had been there for five or seven years in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

She advises people looking for housing to contact local authorities, which she says have benefited from government funding to help people find housing.

What needs to be done at home, I tell people right away, talk to your Housing Office, talk to your municipality, because even in the municipalities, we have given amounts to the municipalities to house people , either in an emergency situation, or during the constructions that are done on the ground. Municipalities received two million [de dollars] she says.

The members of the Conference of prefects dismayed

It is with astonishment that the members of the Conférence des préfets de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (CPAT) noted the remarks of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Sébastien D’Astous, President of the Conference of Prefects of Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Photo: Radio-Canada / Vincent Rességuier

According to the president of the Conference, Sébastien D’Astous, it is not enough to limit oneself to the migration balance in order to determine whether a region is grappling with a housing crisis.

We must not just look at the migratory flow, we must also look at the unemployment rate, the vacancy rate and the economic context we are experiencing. We are in a housing crisis and the solution begins with our governments recognizing our problem.he points out.

” Abitibi-Témiscamingue is facing a housing crisis and currently it is hampering our development and eroding our social fabric. »

Mr. D’Astous points out that the housing shortage has multiple consequences, both socially and economically.

It’s difficult for people who need social housing, it’s also difficult for our housing stock which is not refreshed, which is not improved. It is also consequences on the toxic cohabitation on our territory. It favors the fly-in-fly-outso nothing to create a local economy, an Abitibi-Témiscamingue economy to succeed in developing quality living environmentsdescribes the prefect.

Sébastien D’Astous is of the opinion that elected officials in the region must do more to illustrate the particular reality of Abitibi-Témiscamingue to their colleagues in government.

It is absolutely necessary that our elected officials be able to be defenders of our region and that they make the National Assembly understand that we have particularities and that if we want to be attractive and attract labor in all areas , it takes housing to accommodate these peoplehe concludes.