The housing crisis is a bit like climate change, we talk about it when it reminds us of its existence and we ignore it the rest of the time.
1er July, high mass of the move, is fast approaching. Obviously, and like every year, some families will find themselves on the street, tossed around from organization to organization, trying to find a roof over their heads.
Claiming comfortable, renovated, relatively well-located, affordable and available accommodation is believing in unicorns.
It’s dreaming in colors.
It’s believing in the tooth fairy, Santa Claus and the seven o’clock man at the same time.
And it would be wrong to claim that this is a strictly Montreal problem. It is a national reality, throughout Quebec if not Canada.
A reality that does not seem to tickle public authorities in the least. The indifference with which the Prime Minister and his minister responsible for housing have addressed the issue in recent weeks is moon-like.
And it’s frankly surprising coming from a Prime Minister who has always behaved like a true head of state during a national crisis. He usually finds the right words and gestures when the time comes to deal with crises. But on housing, he escaped it all along the line.
The Minister of Housing, a former real estate broker, lacked tact, even understanding and empathy, when tabling her very first bill. Like what, it is not because we know real estate that we know housing.
The government is decidedly weak on this issue. He continues to shine with his indifference as families risk ending up on the streets.
Politically, it’s a curious position, humanly it’s special to say the least.