Actually, the needs are many right now. Long-term, medium-term and short-term supports are all needed. None of those can be overlooked.
Right now in Montreal, a wide range of measures are being used to address the extensive needs. We can't go without any of the measures or programs community agencies are providing. More and more, we're seeing a competition of sorts between prevention measures, which are necessary and effective, and measures that address the consequences of homelessness.
Naturally, we are all for addressing homelessness before it happens and working to prevent it. In fact, such efforts should not focus solely on housing loss. Efforts to prevent homelessness should focus on all the social determinants. It's equally important not to neglect measures that address the consequences of homelessness. It's not one or the other. It's both.
For example, if your basement floods, yes, you have to stop the water from coming in, but you also have to fix the crack in the foundation. You need to do both.