Housing: PQ seeks first denial right for all cities

Party Quebecois is expected to introduce a bill in the coming days that will allow all municipalities to benefit from the right of first refusal in the event of a sale of buildings and land.

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Already granted in Montreal since 2017, it gives priority to municipalities with the first refusal right to purchase land and buildings to undertake a project for community benefit. The bill seeks to reactivate the AcèsLogis program to deliver at least 10,000 housing units.

“By allowing cities to develop social housing there or to purchase buildings or land more easily to maintain existing housing, we can restrict the cultivation of particular districts, impose social housing on others and respond better to the needs of the most vulnerable. Clients,” Gaspey’s MNA and Meganne Perry Melloncon, a housing spokeswoman, explained.

In doing so, PQ supports one of the demands of the Union des municipalities du Quebec (UMQ), which campaigned in February in the context of its municipal declaration on housing for the extension of the first denial right. Number of accommodation available.

“It’s time to do things differently, to be innovative and active, so that Quebec can become a model in terms of housing,” appealed Daniel Cote, president of UMQ and Gospe Mayor.

The company also plans to reach the target of 4,500 social housing units and 13,400 affordable housing units per year in Quebec.

A few days ago, the government increased the number of social and affordable housing units it would like to build in Quebec by the end of the year and released $ 128 million for their exploitation costs.