OMH refuses to accommodate him: Young man with Down syndrome stuck at home at end of life

A young man with Down syndrome who is at the end of his life cannot even go outside because the municipal housing office managing his HLM has refused to install an elevator despite the release of extraordinary funds for the purpose.

“I want my son to feel the wind on his face and the sun on his skin before he leaves […] It breaks my heart,” sighed Nadia Simard.

The 53-year-old single-parent has been living in the same low-rent housing (HLM) in Baie-Saint-Paul since 2013 with her 23-year-old son Alexis, who has Down syndrome. But for four years, the latter could not step outside, she said.

After suffering no fewer than 17 strokes due to Moya Moya syndrome, the young man was bedridden and unable to walk. At the end of his life, he will benefit from palliative care at home.

An access ramp allows him to pass the few steps separating the front door from the courtyard with his wheelchair, but the Municipal Housing Office of Bi-Saint-Paul (OMH) has refused its installation several times.

“When Alexis is sick, I promised him to stay at home. But I want him to have the minimum quality,” said M.^me Simard.

A glimmer of hope

Finally there was a glimmer of hope in mid-August when the Société de Habitation du Québec (SHQ) “granted an extraordinary budget” of $50,000 to install an elevator outside M's accommodation.^me Simard.

“I'm so happy…” gasped the 53-year-old woman.

The 23-year-old often asks his mother to walk him outside, but he finds it impossible to climb the steps that lead to his yard.

Photo by DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE

But Baie-Saint-Paul's OMH announced last week that it was once again reiterating its refusal, particularly from “the principle of fair treatment of all its tenants”.

“A funding award made for this application cannot be repeated for other tenants with similar needs. This is why [nous] We will not continue to install the devices,” we explained in the missive.

It was also emphasized that major renovation works on the building will be carried out in the coming months and that it is “unacceptable” to invest in permanent installations that will eventually be destroyed.

Find solutions

“We're ready to move forward,” asked Sebastian Oliver, SHQ's director of communications. The Journal.

“OMH has made a decision that is not what we recommended, but we will continue to work with them to find a solution,” he continued, adding that the file was not closed.

Note that housing is provided for the disabled with external access^me Simard and her son in 2021. However, she rejected the offer because it was too small and not enough for her family's needs.