The measures taken by Ottawa and Quebec in 2023 to address the housing crisis are inadequate and this is due in particular to a lack of planning, estimates the Association of Construction and Housing Professionals of Quebec (APCHQ).
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It is difficult for the association to explain the lack of a plan and, in particular, targets for affordable housing.
“It's difficult to decide where to put effort if you don't know where to put it. What do we need to work on the most? In which region? What type of living space? Because it is not true that the needs are the same and the same across the province,” said APCHQ Vice President of Strategic Development, Public Affairs and Innovation Isabelle Demers in an interview with LCN.
Earlier this month, APCHQ gave the federal and provincial governments an overall grade of “C” for initiatives implemented this year.
“It is very worrying what is happening now. The housing crisis, the access to property crisis, the insufficient supply and the fact that we may have one of the first generations that will not have access to property and becoming a homeowner is not a choice right now. “In many cases, being a tenant is an obligation,” emphasizes Ms. Demers.
Although certain government measures are considered excellent by the APCHQ, they are often not enough to lift Quebec out of the housing crisis.
For example, the announced $1.8 billion for building social and affordable housing is welcomed, but APCHQ stresses that 1.2 million homes will need to be built by 2030 to meet demand.
“It is certain that we are currently far from the goal. That should worry us,” says Isabelle Demers.
This requires more action to build faster and better, denser and with clear goals.
To watch the full interview, watch the video above.