Quebec finance minister unveils plan to address hunger, homelessness and climate change

With economic growth slowing dramatically, Quebec intends to take a targeted approach to pressing social issues like food insecurity and the housing crisis, Finance Minister Eric Girard announced in an economic update Tuesday.

The Finance Ministry is projecting a deficit of $4 billion for the 2023-24 financial year, with a gradual return to a balanced budget by 2027-2028.

“The situation is extremely difficult for Quebecers,” Girard said. “We are not in recession but we are certainly in a difficult period that can be described as stagnation.”

While the Coalition Avenir Québec government will not be sending cheques to Quebec households, as it did in the past to help with inflation, the mini-budget does contain some tax breaks.

Most of the spending is aimed at three areas.

Housing and homelessness

Quebec will be investing $1.8 billion (half of which is federal funding) over six years to build 8,000 social and affordable housing units. 

Of that sum, $1.6 billion will be used for building 7,500 housing units for low-and-moderate-income households and $225.2 million will be used to build 500 housing units reserved for homeless people, under the Quebec affordable housing program.

Quebec has earmarked $338.2 million over five years to tackle homelessness. Of that amount $214.6 million will be used to build 500 housing units specifically for people experiencing homelessness. 

Additionally, $123.7 million has been earmarked for emergency assistance related to homelessness as well as for offering culturally safe services for Indigenous people experiencing homelessness.

Food banks

With food banks pleading for help given a growing clientele, Quebec will provide five food organizations with a one-time targeted injection of $20.8 million to help. The funding will be distributed to:

• $10 million for the Food Banks of Quebec network.
• $5 million for the Breakfast Club of Canada.
• $2 million for the Tablée des chefs.
• $2 million for the Fondation Olo.
• $1.8 million for La Cantine pour tous.

Climate change

The government will spend $961 million over the next five years to adapt to climate change.

That includes $404 million to support communities affected by this summer’s devastating forest fires and $292 to support the forestry industry and encourage climate-change initiatives.

This is a developing story.