The announcement by Minister France-Élaine Duranceau of the construction of 1,000 social housing units did not have the desired effect this week. Increasingly impatient, the groups developing these projects are finding that they are not being authorized quickly enough.
Monday, Mme Duranceau “announced the construction of 1000 social and affordable housing units across Quebec”.
“Thanks to the funding granted”, the government “is accelerating the construction of 1,000 additional housing units”, rejoiced the minister in a press release.
An insufficient and late announcement in the eyes of the Association of Technical Resource Groups of Quebec (AGRTQ), the organizations which take charge of carrying out such projects.
“We make an announcement to tell us that 1000 have been chosen. We know, it was in the budget! » argued Éric Cimon, director of the AGRTQ.
The 1,000 units come from the Quebec Affordable Housing Program (PHAQ). They were in fact announced in last spring’s budget, several months ago. They were then the subject of a call for tenders last summer, the deadline for which was the end of September.
AGRTQ members alone submitted projects for the equivalent of 5,000 units during this call for tenders. “What will happen to those who were not selected,” wonders Éric Cimon. “We all find ourselves competing against each other. […] The longer we wait, the more we are left waiting. To submit, you must have reserved land, have sketches with architects…”
However, in November, during the economic update, the government announced that it would subsidize 8,000 more units over five years. “As we are lucky to have 8,000 over five years”, we could indicate to those who were not chosen that they will be “in year two”, suggests the director of the AGRTQ. “That way, you’re no longer waiting and you can move forward. »
An opinion shared by the Popular Action Front for Urban Redevelopment (FRAPRU). “If we want things to go faster, we have to make the announcements happen faster than that,” says its spokesperson, Véronique Laflamme. “There was the budget in the spring, the call for projects was launched in June, the groups had until September to submit. So that’s a lot of months for the financing to come to fruition. »
Unveiling of projects delayed
Mme Laflamme says he has the impression that we are “managing the housing crisis like a public communications operation”. “We are being given announcements when there is really nothing new to give the impression that something is happening. »
Monday’s announcement was also poorly received because the list of chosen projects was not made public. As his lines were written on Thursday, it still had not been written.
Questioned by The duty, Minister Duranceau’s office indicated on Wednesday that it would be there on Friday. “We wanted to let the MPs concerned make the announcement to the organizations and partners first,” said his press secretary Justine Vézina.