Mr. Speaker, this evening thousands of people across Quebec will take part in the 23rd Nuit des sans-abri. In Laval, we will gather at 7 p.m. in the Collège Montmorency parking lot. We will all spend the night together under the stars in order to break the silence and remember that, every night, one of our own sleeps in the streets.
I would like to sincerely thank the Réseau des organismes et des intervenants en itinérance de Laval, which has organized this event for the seventh consecutive year. Laval is not alone in facing the challenge of homelessness. Although perceived as a well-heeled city, Laval does have homeless people.
A number of organizations working in this field receive federal funding under the current homelessness partnering strategy, the HPS. The region receives an annual amount that is not nearly enough to meet real needs, but our main concern is ensuring that the HPS will be renewed, period.
I sincerely hope that the government will renew the budget allocation for the HPS as quickly as possible. We have an opportunity to change our world for the better and the power to do so right now.