Bruno Marchand announced Thursday that he aims to “totally eradicate” homelessness in Quebec while firing an arrow at Marie-José Savard’s team, which he accuses of having “given up” in the face of the problem.
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“In our opinion, when we are presented with obligations on this matter, the other parties have given up. I would even say more specifically that Equipe Savard has surrendered,” said Marchand, who invited the media to the courtyard of St. Roch Church.
The Quebec Strong and Proud Leader (QFF) referred to a post by candidate Emily Villeneuve on social networks on Wednesday. In response to an article reporting the discontent that has persisted in Saint-Roch since the creation of the Lauberivière sanctuary, she wrote that “the magic wand does not exist,” explaining that it is necessary to “stay together and work together to make things better.”
“When we learned yesterday on social media that they are saying they don’t have a magic wand and in the meantime they can’t do much, that is not the right way to address the issue for us. […] “We are abandoning people who are suffering,” Mr Marchand criticized.
The outgoing administration in May announced a series of new measures to boost social cohesion, including frequent maintenance of public spaces, increased police presence and the installation of chemical latrines in the Carré Lebens. The city has also just donated $50,000 to Le Local.
Zero Roaming
Mr Marchand regrets that “tensions are rising” despite everything. He argues that the vision of “zero homelessness” is not utopian, since 27 cities in Canada have adopted a similar goal, constituting, according to him, “the only humanly acceptable goal.” Community organizations, CIUSSS, and the educational community will participate.
“Zero homelessness does not mean that no one is homeless. It has fewer than three homeless people who have been chronically homeless for more than three months. So the idea is to be able to get those people out. [de l’itinérance] “And take it out in a sustainable way,” said Saint-Roch-Saint-Sauveur candidate Pierre-Luc Lachance.
Nine scales
Concretely, Qatar Charity is introducing nine measures, including holding frequent good-neighborly meetings, establishing at least 100 social housing units for clients in transition, and installing a network of latrines. Annual self-cleaning utilities at a cost of $250,000.
On the other hand, the party proposes to establish a night unit to provide its services in areas where there is friction, and to invest $100,000 in a pilot project where information such as the number of beds available in the surrounding resources or the number is available. Solidarity cafes open will be displayed in bus shelters in the city center.
The training also proposes that Quebec City, as an employer, participate in the Day Work Program, to give $50,000 to the foundation behind the coin for vulnerable people “indoor donations,” implement venue for nightly indoor recreation activities, and provide training for residents in neighborhoods where homelessness exists.