Former Quebec premier Pauline Marois and Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand are calling for a national summit on homelessness [1].
The proposal seeks to elevate homelessness to a national priority in Quebec. The advocates argue that a centralized summit is necessary to improve the coordination of services for people living without shelter [2].
Marchand, who also serves as the chair of the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ) homelessness committee, is joining Marois in the demand for government action [1]. The request specifies that the provincial government should organize the summit by June 2027 [3].
This push comes amid reports of growing frustration among those experiencing homelessness. In a separate account from April, a woman named Audrey said the government needs to react more to help people escape the situation because humanity deserves better [4].
There are conflicting reports regarding the status of such a gathering. While Marois and Marchand are currently demanding the organization of a summit, some reports from April suggested a new summit on homelessness had already been reached [5].
The organizers emphasize that the goal of the summit is to create a cohesive strategy to address the crisis across the province [2]. By bringing together municipal leaders, and provincial officials, the summit would aim to bridge gaps in the current service delivery model [1].
“The proposal seeks to elevate homelessness to a national priority in Quebec.”
The call for a summit by high-profile figures like a former premier and a current mayor indicates a perceived failure in the current decentralized approach to homelessness in Quebec. By demanding a deadline of June 2027, these leaders are attempting to force a structured, time-bound commitment from the provincial government to synchronize municipal efforts with provincial funding and policy.
