Good morning.
The Fédération des maisons d'hébergement pour femmes is made up of 37 member shelters, representing 36 emergency assistance and shelter homes—that is, first-stage shelters—and 18 second-stage shelters, spread across 11 Quebec regions. We are actively working to defend the rights and promote the autonomy of all women. We represent and advocate for the policies, achievements and rights of our member shelters.
The federation's member shelters provide housing and support to abused women and their children, which means they address all forms of violence experienced by women—including violence from an intimate partner, as well as domestic violence, violence from a roommate or landlord, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and so on. They also recognize the strategies women employ to cope with violence and ensure their children's safety, as well as the repercussions of the violence they've experienced.
During the 2024–2025 period, among all women who were housed and supported, 81% experienced psychological violence, 54% experienced physical violence, and 49% experienced economic violence. This means that each woman may experience different forms of violence, regardless of the reason for her stay. It is from this perspective that the federation understands women's experiences and the challenges they face, particularly those related to mental health and substance use, as well as those related to housing instability and homelessness.
In addition to the primary reason for seeking shelter, which can vary, 54% of women in shelters had mental health issues, 12% used psychoactive substances, and, upon leaving the shelter, 39% of women moved to another unstable living situation. Many of them then found themselves at risk of homelessness. As my colleague will explain, difficulties in accessing housing make it very difficult for women to escape violence and expose them to the risk of experiencing or re-experiencing violence.
Ms. St‑Pierre‑Gaudreault, I'll turn the floor over to you.