Status of Women committee  Concerning the building of shelters, all the organizations that are working on housing projects must absolutely use collaboration and partnerships. We are actually not developers. We must all establish relationships with private sector developers or community developers. Partnerships are essential, and funding is a key issue.

Status of Women committee  We think that it's an excellent idea to grant paid leave to women victims of domestic violence. However, we believe that it would be in the women's interest if the leave were significantly longer than the five days proposed. We've noticed that, in many cases, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health issues or physical disorders arise once the women are in a safe environment and able to have some rest.

Status of Women committee  As I was saying earlier, we really need to implement new shelter resources to manage both crisis and transition situations, not only for women victims of domestic violence, but also for women who are experiencing multiple issues. In Laval, the challenge is really to be in a position to consider the full background of the women and to have the necessary resources to help them not only cope with the continuum of violence, but also manage their mental health, addiction and financial insecurity issues.

Status of Women committee  In Laval, there are 45 places for women victims of domestic violence. When the 19 new places were added in 2005, we didn't meet our objective of 26 places. We were still short seven places in 2005. In 2018, these places still haven't been created. Given the rapid population growth and the arrival of immigrants, Laval is short far more than seven places for victims of domestic violence in crisis situations.

Status of Women committee  In terms of needs, there's a shortage of places. However, we don't want only buildings. We want comprehensive support for these women that involves feminist action. As such, not only do we need funding to acquire new resources, but we must also have the necessary resources to provide comprehensive support for these women.

Status of Women committee  Okay. We need a variety of types of shelter, which are part of a continuum. This includes short-term and long-term shelters, studios that include community support, and, obviously, affordable and permanent community and social housing. Thank you.

Status of Women committee  Good afternoon. The Table de concertation de Laval en condition féminine is a regional feminist group that collectively advocates for women's rights. The group has been part of the community since 1988. It was created to meet the needs of women's groups in the Laval region in terms of co-operation, visibility and solidarity.

Status of Women committee  We're very pleased to have the opportunity to participate today in this study of shelters and transition houses serving women victims of violence. Quebec must cope with a critical shortage of available places, and the situation is particularly serious in Laval. Today we want to briefly describe the situation in our region and propose some solutions.