Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The Réseau Solidarité Itinérance du Québec represents 11 Quebec regional consultation committees that work with homeless people and 200 Quebec organizations that work with individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Like Mr. Saillant, I am here today to remind you of the urgent need to continue federal funding for homelessness initiatives through the SCPI program, the Supporting Communities Partner Initiative, which will end on March 31, 2007, in approximately 150 days. There is currently no certainty that this funding will continue beyond that date.
The Réseau Solidarité Itinérance du Québec asks that funding for this program be provided in the next budget, for the years to come, but also that an announcement be made and funding released before the next budget to avoid a major break in service to the homeless on March 31, 2007, and that $50 million be granted a year to Quebec, which is three times as much as was granted in Phases I and II of the SCPI program.
According to various sources, there are between 150,000 and 200,000 homeless persons in Canada. According to the 1996 census, 10 years ago, there were 10,266 in Montreal who had not had a fixed address for one year, and 3,589 in Quebec City. Since then, the phenomenon has been constantly growing, resulting in an increase in the use of all resources working with homeless persons.
It is true that, for us, this is a national emergency and priority, and that was part of the May 2006 recommendations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Allow me to talk about this program, which will be coming to an end. The general purpose of the program has proven itself since 1999, even though homelessness investments remain below needs expressed by the communities. To date, the SCPI has been a crucial program in preventing and relieving homelessness, permitting a diverse range of action designed to improve the living conditions of homeless persons. By increasing human resources, street work, community support and psychosocial intervention with the homeless, by improving facilities and equipment and permitting the construction of housing units and an increase in the number of shelter beds, the SCPI has enabled many people to get off the street and many others to avoid the slide into the street.
Without the SCPI, the groups would have been unable to deal with the increased numbers of homeless individuals or the worsening of their problems that has been observed in recent years. This program, I recall, is crucial and essential to preventing and relieving homelessness. We think it must be maintained in its generalist form and must be made permanent in order to guarantee continued intervention and long-term solutions for individuals.
In closing, we ask the members of the Finance Committee to take action for the government to announce, before the next election, that the SCPI will be extended and enhanced and to continue its funding. We would like to recall that only a massive investment in homelessness, together with a change in social and housing policies, can significantly reduce homelessness. Thank you.