Mr. Speaker, on February 20, I met with over 25 stakeholders and municipal politicians in Montreal to discuss the housing situation in Quebec.
At a round table on homelessness, housing providers and shelter workers all agreed on one thing: the Conservative government's one-size-fits-all approach to housing and homelessness is not working. In particular, the government is failing seniors. As Canada's population ages, so too is the country's homeless population.
For Canadians being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, not only is their health in jeopardy, their housing is now put at risk too. If they do not remember to pay rent, if they are easily confused while looking for housing, if they end up in a shelter and are agitated, their disease can literally put them out on the street. With Alzheimer's, isolation can move from chronic to catastrophic, even with the best of care, and on the street it all gets worse.
We need a new housing policy that includes practical and targeted support for Canada's aging population. Our seniors deserve to age with dignity, in housing with care. The government's policies leave low-income Alzheimer's patients in particular out in the cold, which is unacceptable.