(Quebec) In office for only two years, the boss of the Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ), Claude Foster, announced his departure from the Legault government, a departure which will be effective upon the appointment of his successor, we learned The Press.
He ends his five-year term hastily. The Council of Ministers appointed him as CEO of the SHQ on January 12, 2022. Mr. Foster took office a month later, on February 7 to be precise.
Claude Foster was until then director general of the Office municipal d’habitation de Québec, since 2007. This engineer was previously director of the firm Génécor Experts-Conseils (2004-2007).
He notified the government of his departure in January. He made the announcement to SHQ employees on Wednesday, following a text published by The Press on his decision.
“I’m going to retire, I’m going to be 61,” Claude Foster said in an interview. “When we talk about a five-year contract, that’s not set in stone. This is the basis of what we offer to senior jobs (responsible for organizational management positions, Editor’s note). If we had been in the schnoutte, I wouldn’t have left. I’m not someone who leaves organizations in bad shape. »
He has “given a lot” to the SHQ and says he is “proud of where we are”. “Should I continue to see what happens next? I could do that. But I’m a guy who, once I’m sure we’ve done what we had to do, I don’t mind sitting still and slowing down.”
According to him, “everything is on track” at the SHQ, “the teams have transformed a lot of things” and the organization “is more proactive than what (it) was before”.
The SHQ reports to the Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau. Claude Foster also accompanied the minister on Tuesday for an announcement on housing.
In Quebec, two sources affirmed that the government was satisfied with Mr. Foster’s work and that his departure cannot be explained by a disagreement. It is a personal decision, it was argued.
“I greatly appreciate the minister. There is no disagreement,” insisted Claude Foster. “This woman brought a vision that forced us to work differently. And thanks to his hard work… And that, listen, I’m not a guy who’s afraid to work… When you receive continuous messages, but all the time improving what we’re doing, that, it’s France-Élaine Duranceau. I find it so sad (how) she is portrayed” in the media.
The SHQ is notably responsible for the construction of housing. She is piloting the Quebec Affordable Housing Program (PHAQ), which replaced AccèsLogis in 2022.
In its most recent update, the SHQ shows that the PHAQ has still not delivered housing: 324 of them are in the construction phase and 1,283 are in the development phase. What is also striking is the sudden increase in the construction price of these projects. This increase is more than 30%. The average cost per unit now exceeds $450,000, as reported The Press Wednesday.
“When I look at the results, I am very, very proud of what has been accomplished compared to what is to come. I see the results now, and I can tell you that I am very happy with the announcements that will be made soon,” said Claude Foster.
As he remains in office until the appointment of his successor, he will accompany Minister Duranceau during the study of the Housing budget appropriations in the parliamentary committee on Thursday. He mentioned that positive results will be revealed to MPs on this occasion.
reference: www.lapresse.ca