Housing should not lead to poverty: Centraide of Greater Montreal launches a working group on housing

MONTREAL, June 8, 2022 /CNW/ - Centraide of Greater Montreal is proud to announce the creation of a new working group to identify current housing issues, gather detailed insights, and recommend long-term solutions as well as common indicators of success.

This working group will consist of recognized experts from a range of sectors (community, philanthropic, institutional, private, academic, and research):

Martin Alain, Service de l'Habitation, Ville de Montréal
Hélène Bélanger, Department of urban studies and tourism, UQAM
Yves Bellavance, Coalition montréalaise des tables de quartier (CMTQ)
arjolaine Deneault, Coalition of Housing Committees and Tenants Associations of Quebec (RCLALQ)
Marie-Andrée Farmer, Foundation of Greater Montreal
Carole Freulon, Direction de santé publique de la Montérégie
Catherine Gagné, Service de la culture, des loisirs, du sports et du développement social, Ville de Laval
Sophie Goudreau, Direction régionale de santé publique de Montréal
Mazen Houdeib, ROMEL
Heather Johnston, Projets Autochtones du Québec
Sylvio Manfredi, Direction de santé publique de Laval
Fimba Tankoano, Concertation Horizon
Jean Tremblay, Direction de la culture, du loisir et du développement social, Ville de Longueuil

Additional strategic partners will join in the coming weeks. Meetings to establish an action plan will begin June 23 and continue until the fall.

This group's output will lay the groundwork for Centraide of Greater Montreal to initiate a broad mobilization that will support agencies and neighbourhood round tables responding to the effects of housing issues. The goal behind this mobilization is to bring stakeholders together to set ambitious objectives and concrete targets and implement systemic, long-term solutions that address current issues.

"It is essential to set ambitious goals for social transformation, question our approaches to collective issues and realign our focus. This requires a collaborative and innovative dialogue with citizens, community organizations, constituency representatives, institutions, businesses, and governments. Having a safe and healthy place to live should not lead to poverty or increase inequality. Housing and its decisive impact on poverty and exclusion will therefore be the top priority in these discussions," says Claude Pinard, President and Executive Director, Centraide of Greater Montreal.

About Centraide of Greater Montreal

Centraide of Greater Montreal is an agent of change active in the territories of Laval, Montreal and the South Shore. It supports a network of 350 agencies and collective projects each year. Centraide receives support from businesses, organizations and the general public. The money it raises is invested on the basis of needs analyses in each neighbourhood and community within its territory. Centraide's strategies and actions are aimed at fighting poverty and social exclusion to improve the living conditions of people in vulnerable situations. Organizations supported by Centraide of Greater Montreal help more than 800,000 people each year. For more information, visit centraide-mtl.org.

SOURCE Centraide of Greater Montreal

Media contact: Annick Gagnon, Public relations advisor, Centraide of Greater Montreal, 514 288-1261, [email protected]