Two and a half years after the opening of a first Véro & Louis house, the project for a second house in Victoriaville is moving forward: the team now has the land and funds necessary for construction. There is one last thing left to finalize: an agreement with the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
The mayor of Victoriaville, Antoine Tardif, announced Monday morning the donation of this land located along the Promenade des Aînés. He was accompanied for the occasion by Véronique Cloutier and Louis Morissette, co-founders of the Véro & Louis Foundation.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE VÉRO & LOUIS FOUNDATION
An aerial view of the land in Victoriaville
In addition to this land donation, there is a donation of three million dollars, offered by the Bourgeois Foundation. The Véro & Louis Foundation will offer another three million dollars to complete the construction of the house, which will have the same mission as the first, located in Varennes: to provide a permanent living environment for autistic adults.
In interview with The PressLouis Morissette indicates that one element is missing before officially launching construction: a new agreement with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, which ensures the budget for services inside the houses.
The first house has an operating budget of 1.7 million per year, which is mainly used to pay the workers who supervise the 16 residents. It is currently running an operating deficit of several hundred thousand dollars per year due to rising labor costs and food prices.
“In Varennes, we assume it, but we will not be able to do it on 3, 5, 10 houses,” indicates Louis Morissette. This would be totally irresponsible as managers. » As soon as this new agreement is concluded, construction in Victoriaville can begin, he said. “We have another project ready to go to another region, which we are able to finance with the Foundation. We are waiting for the same agreement. If the Ministry helps us, we are able to help a lot of people, quickly. »
Louis Morissette indicates that “communication is good and cordial” with the Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant. “I feel that the message is understood, but I also feel that the government also has a lot of things to manage at the moment and it is asking us for a little time to tie it all up,” says Louis Morissette, who nevertheless hopes to conclude this agreement quickly.
During the announcement Monday morning, Louis Morissette also launched a call for mobilization to the region’s community, recalling that the next stages of construction will require numerous resources. Community support will have to amount to one million dollars per year.
Maison Louis & Véro in Victoriaville could accommodate between 16 and 20 autistic adults, selected from the waiting list for accommodation of the CIUSSS de la Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Québec. Véro & Louis homes are designed for autistic adults who are not independent, but who do not have behavioral problems.