Status of Women Committee on June 4th, 2026

[Marilyn Matheson]

I don't have the exact numbers for five or 10 years with me, but they have risen quite a bit. We started out with 16 units, and they were not full at the time, 40 years ago. Now we have 130 families on the waiting list.

A lot of these women are not being counted because they're in the city shelters. They need the support of counsellors on violence against women, but they're not able to reach them because they're being housed in city hotels and motels.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Would you say it is an oversight not to account for everyone in the statistics—

[Marilyn Matheson]

Yes.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

—to reveal the lack of affordable housing for them?

[Marilyn Matheson]

Yes.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

I've spoken with a lot of women who feel that the shelter system can be unsafe due to the active drug abuse and violence that often occurs. Additionally, entering these spaces can be retraumatizing for women fleeing relationships with chronic drug users or domestic violence situations.

Are shelters of today truly a safe transitional housing space for women and children fleeing domestic abuse and violence?

[Marilyn Matheson]

Yes, there are places other than VAW shelters where women who have addiction problems can go. However, we know that if they're separated from their children when they're suffering from addiction, it's not good for the mother and it's not good for the children. We need to seriously look at—

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you, Ms. Matheson. That's all the time we have for Ms. Cody's questions.

Ms. Ménard, you have six minutes.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank these experts for enlightening us. This is an important study.

I'm not sure if you'll be able to provide us with the data. If you do have it and you'd like to send it to us later, we'd be more than happy to receive it.

I'll begin with you, Ms. Brazeau and Ms. Brien.

Since the beginning of this study, everyone has been talking to us about waiting lists. Obviously, it's heartbreaking to hear. How many beds would you estimate are missing, even just to accommodate those who come seeking first-stage support? We're really talking about emergency shelters. Can you quantify the demand?

[Elise Brien]

I can answer the question.

Currently, throughout Quebec, we are working on a report in partnership with others. In fact, the report falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, but we are contributing to its preparation. We have not yet reached any conclusions as to the number of available spots, but we know there is a shortage in 13 out of 17 regions in Quebec, and that the need is an absolute priority in six regions where refusal rates are extremely high. In the Montreal, Quebec City and Laval regions, the success rate for securing housing ranges from 20 to 30 per cent, which is very low indeed.

However, we know we would be able to create additional beds in the short term. For our coalition and our 47 members, we could create approximately 60 beds. I'm referring here to available but unfunded spots. We'll need to build new homes, and we'll need to do so fairly quickly. Currently, the average wait time is eight weeks. These are the latest figures we have, and they date back to 2024—but we know that wait times have increased.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Thank you.

Incidentally, I was in Montreal on Monday for the announcement of a new shelter being built—Gabrielle House. Given my first name, I think this shelter will always hold a special place in my heart. We are indeed well aware that it is absolutely essential to quickly increase the number of available beds.

Ms. Matheson, I hadn't necessarily prepared to speak on this topic, but I was very moved when you spoke about the experience of children who are growing up and need to develop—whether during a short or longer stay—in an environment that may not be their home, namely a shelter. You mentioned, for example, that these children cannot invite friends over for their birthdays.

What kind of stories do you hear? How do you interpret the experiences of children who have to go through the shelter system?

[Marilyn Matheson]

In one case, we have a family who started out in an emergency shelter, and they've been with us now for over four years. They are growing up. We have seen them throughout the child care system. Now they're attending the after-school program, but they can't bring their friends back, because they're in a shelter.

The problem with housing for them is that the mother has been held back due to immigration problems.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

That's enlightening.

What we're also trying to highlight through the testimony you're providing are survivors' experiences. What concrete benefits can a stay at a shelter offer? I don't want to come across as tactless or insensitive, but are we also, at times, witnessing a revolving door phenomenon? What causes women to return there at times? There are undoubtedly factors that shape that reality. What should we bear in mind in our report?

Once again, I'm addressing these questions to you, Ms. Brazeau and Ms. Brien.

[Annick Brazeau]

In fact, what support and shelter centres also do is overcome the isolation these women face and encourage them to help one another, share tips and see that possibilities do exist. There are also women and children who don't speak French and will learn it by interacting with other women and children.

As for your other question about why some women come back, I'd say that domestic violence is truly a process. That's why it's important to be there for these women, to give them tools, and to meet with them regularly. It's a journey; things can't be rushed, and steps must be taken to build a solid foundation and help women understand the process. It may take seven visits for some women before they leave their abusive partners. That's one of the reasons; we need to take the time to properly establish a foundation and give women the tools they need.

Furthermore, it's clear that sometimes the cost of housing—or the fact that these women don't have access to affordable housing—creates situations where some of them will quickly enter into a new relationship or return to their old one. As you know, because of the cost of living—even for two people—it's hard to make ends meet these days. So it's even harder for single people or single mothers.

Those explanations may answer your question.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Ms. Nizigama, would you like to add a few words about survivors' experiences? What do they share with you?

[Aline Nizigama]

When it comes to breaking this cycle of violence, we listen closely to survivors to determine the solutions we will implement.

The affordability crisis and the fact that it's very expensive to return to the community and find a job mean that these women are often forced to go back to their abusive partners. We're often told that the solution would be for women and children not to leave the home, and that it should be the person responsible for the violence who leaves. That's one of the solutions we need to explore, but often because it involves—

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you very much. You will surely have an opportunity to finish your thought later on.

Ms. Larouche, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you very much to the witnesses for being with us today.

Ms. Nizigama, we may have an opportunity to speak again.

Ms. Matheson, I want to come back to your experience with children and families. I've mentioned this before, but I highlighted the awarding of a children's literature prize to a book entitled La maison cachette. This book tells the story of an eight-year-old girl who, along with her little brother, goes to find their mother at a shelter they call “La maison cachette”, or the hideaway house, to get her away from the violence she wants to escape. What their mother is going through is described from the perspective of an eight-year-old child. To avoid giving the story away, I will simply say that there is a birthday in the book. There's not just one birthday, but two, which the family tries to mark with the staff at the shelter, who do their best to create moments of happiness for them. It's not easy for families to go through this.

I will now turn to you, Ms. Brazeau and Ms. Brien. You have spoken at length about Build Canada Homes and what you expect from that organization.

I'm also on the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, which studied Bill C‑20, an act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes. At this point, we have been told that, to simplify the process, Quebec would have the final say. In other words, you would have to make representations to the Société d'habitation du Québec.

From what I'm hearing in your concerns, that is not entirely the message you've received so far. Is that correct?

[Elise Brien]

Indeed, at the moment, on the ground, the Regroupement has a few projects under way, as does our sister organization, the Alliance des maisons d'hébergement de 2e étape, the Alliance MH2. I would say that the current relationship with Build Canada Homes is quite complex. I won't lie to you: What's happening is pretty chaotic. The directives and guidance we receive change on a weekly, if not daily, basis. At present, the forms and letters of understanding are very complex, and we're not at all at that stage with the SHQ.

Unfortunately, the issue of the two institutions having difficulty communicating persists, especially on the SHQ side. At the SHQ, we still don't have a program dedicated to the construction of transition houses and shelters, and second-stage housing. This makes things even more complex. Unfortunately, the situation is not at all resolved.

[Annick Brazeau]

If I may add something to what my colleague said, it's not financially possible to carry out a project with the Société d'habitation du Québec. Given that construction costs have increased significantly, to avoid having large mortgages, support from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is necessary because it's not possible to do it with the SHQ alone.

Now, combining the two involves different criteria, and it's very difficult to carry out projects. It often takes several years.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

However, we've been told that this is a need, and we all know that.

We constantly hear that the steps keep being pushed back one after another. When a woman arrives at an emergency resource, there is no space in a first-stage shelter. She stays in the emergency resource, so she takes the place of a woman who would need to be admitted on an emergency basis. She cannot continue her process of becoming independent and getting out of this cycle by moving into a shelter. All of this pushes back and delays her process of getting out of that cycle, so we need this.

My question is the following. Quebec already has an extensive network of shelters. If I understand correctly, there is a shortage of spaces in 13 out of 17 regions, and in six regions, including Montreal and Quebec City, the situation is even more problematic. You may come back to funding, but is there another reason that explains why we've reached this point?

What are the main challenges faced by first and second-stage shelters?

Ms. Brazeau, you were interrupted during your opening remarks, so I'd like to give you the opportunity to say what you didn't have time to say.

[Annick Brazeau]

I wanted to talk about our proposal in relation to what is being done elsewhere.

Among other things, the Australian model provides a relocation fund for women leaving shelters. It is used to purchase household appliances and furniture so that victims can re-establish themselves. That's what's missing as well. Some provinces already offer it, but it isn't available everywhere. It could help and encourage women.

I'll now come back to your first question.

You've spoken a lot about the shortage of shelters. In most of our shelters, we can accommodate 12 women and children. The larger houses can accommodate 18 women and children. That's not a lot, given that they stay for two to three months. It's important to understand that there are many victims of intimate partner violence, and we're unable to meet the demand.

I mentioned the figures from SOS violence conjugale. For almost one request out of two, they are able to find a place somewhere in Quebec. In the meantime, we work with these victims and try to see whether they can stay with friends or family. However, while some are waiting to be admitted, others are added to the waiting list, so there is a shortage of shelters.

We talked about Montreal. More than one is needed because these are small houses, and the number of spaces is limited. Often, these were houses we purchased and tried to adapt. We need new construction to allow for larger spaces so that we can provide services and accommodate more women and children.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you very much, Ms. Brazeau.

That completes this round of questions.

We'll now go to Mrs. Roberts for five minutes.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to all the witnesses. What you do is not easy, and I want to thank you for doing it.

I'm going to ask Mrs. Matheson the first question.

Violence against women has increased by 76%. Is there not a responsibility to protect women by ensuring that laws are in place to keep the perpetrators behind bars?

[Marilyn Matheson]

It is, but there are a lot of women who are afraid to report, because once they report, if the abuser is still left in the home, they can be abused again.

It's a cultural thing as well. Certain cultures just don't abuse. In rural areas, your neighbour is far away, so it's hard to run to your neighbour to phone.

The safety tips that we give are to always find a room that you can lock yourself into and to always keep your cellphone with you so you can call for help, but sometimes the police services don't show up or they don't see it as a difficult situation and they leave the abuser there.