Member of Parliament for Vaudreuil, but also official opposition critic for municipal affairs and official opposition critic for housing, Marie-Claude Nichols, is at the heart of the crisis. For her, it is obvious that the construction of social housing is essential.
Mrs. Nichols mentions that her mandate is not limited to the riding of Vaudreuil. People from all over are contacting her to let her know that they will be homeless next July.
“The government must act. The CAQ has been doing nothing for 3 years, claiming that the agreement between the provincial and the federal had not been signed. The last agreement ended in 2018 and it took 3 years to do anything. During this time, there were millions of dollars sleeping in the federal coffers.”
Mrs. Nichols explains that we should not believe that the establishment of social housing is a sign of poverty. “Too often people believe this. But, there are workers who don’t ask for too much and who sometimes need a helping hand. Currently, there are families who must devote more than 50% of their income to housing. This is the reality.”
According to the member for Vaudreuil, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has a role to play in the crisis since it has several resources. “Owners are more and more selective and rental prices have exploded. There are even owners who advertise accommodation with racist comments. There are rules in place, but they are really not being followed.”
