In recent years, access to housing for people with intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities or diagnosed with autism has deteriorated. If the pandemic served as a revealer, the situation was already very critical. Whether through a lack of funds, an organizational problem or even a lack of political interest, people with disabilities who are housed in the health and social services network have seen their living conditions deteriorate. considerably.
These people, most of whom are vulnerable, and their families face a shortage of places in alternative living environments as well as almost total political disinterest. Virtually no support is given by the Ministry of Health and Social Services or even by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for the creation of living environments managed by and for the community, which does not only accentuate the pressure on the existing living environments. However, the federal government has mobilized significant sums for the construction of housing resources for people with disabilities. What happened with these sums?
Worse still, it has been several years now that the Quebec Intellectual Disability Society has noted the resurgence of institutions in the province. Of course, they no longer resemble those popularized in Flight over a cuckoo’s nest : they are smaller, deprivations of liberty are less obvious, but people are still locked up there, their rights are violated and they have no control over their lives. Services are limited and living conditions are often inadequate. It should be noted here that the galloping privatization of accommodation resources has not helped either, the working conditions there being often deplorable.
For its part, the Quebec Federation of Autism has for many years highlighted the serious dysfunctions of the health and social services network, particularly in terms of accommodation. In 2019, she had also painted a portrait of the situation of the living environments of autistic adults other than the original family environment. Beyond the observation, a series of recommendations had been made to improve these living environments and imperatively guarantee suitable places in sufficient quantity and with reasonable waiting times.
The Provincial Regrouping of Users’ Committees (RPCU) adds that as users of the health and social services network, we have fundamental rights recognized by the Act respecting health services and social services (LSSSS). , including the right to receive the care required by his condition and the right to accommodation.
The articles published recently prove that there is a real urgency to review the existing models as well as to adopt mechanisms for monitoring and verifying the quality of these living environments. These mechanisms existed even less than 15 years ago and have been abandoned over the course of network reforms. It is important to restore them as soon as possible. Why not generalize this possibility to all living environments?
Ultimately, investing more money in a broken system will not solve the multiple problems. What is needed here is a real questioning of existing ways of doing things and models. New, more inclusive models are needed, more support services and home care must be mobilized, and the community must be involved. People with disabilities, regardless of their level of need, want to be included in the community, they do not dream of living in CHSLDs or “seniors’ homes”.
The current model of segregation and institutionalization, in particular through recourse to the private sector, which is becoming widespread, is worrying and suggests even more massive setbacks for people with disabilities. Faced with this state of affairs, let’s bet on the ideas and capacities for self-determination of the people concerned, the commitment of families, the community sector and researchers.
It remains for the government and its various ministries to do what they are elected and appointed to do: work for the common good, without excluding the most vulnerable people. The state can and must do better.