Finance committee  I'll answer your question in French. The request for $2 billion is related to an investment in housing. The request for federal investment to be doubled in the development of social housing was made a long time ago. It would serve to reduce or even eliminate and prevent homelessness, but also to meet the housing needs of many Canadians, indigenous people in the north, people in cities and in rural communities.

Finance committee  We think it should be both. It has been both in the past. Some of the social housing that was done before 1994, such as public housing, was done by the Société d'habitation du Québec, but co-op housing and non-profit housing was done by community groups, which is a model that still exists here.

Finance committee  From 1999 to 2014, federal funds were invested in a number of initiatives, as we describe in the brief we have submitted. They might take the form of a contribution to the facilities of organizations such as the Maison du Père, Cactus Montréal or L'Itinéraire, or a contribution to social housing projects.

Finance committee  Good morning, Mr. Chair. Good morning to all the committee members. We thank you for this opportunity to be heard and to describe the homeless situation in Montreal and the needs of Montreal, which are among the most significant in Canada, as my colleague mentioned. The Réseau d'aide aux personnes seules et itinérantes de Montréal, or RAPSIM, is made up of about 100 organizations that assist those who are, or who may become, homeless in Montreal.