Quebec premier announces $28 million to fight homelessness

Montreal homeless encampment along Notre-Dame Street. (Daniel J. Rowe/CTV News)

With the next Quebec election just a few months away, Premier Christine Fréchette is stepping up her announcements.

On Thursday, she stated that her government would invest $28 million to tackle homelessness in the Outaouais, the Capitale-Nationale and Montreal regions.

Around $21 million over three years will go towards the Preventive Rent Supplement Programme (PSLP) to fund a pilot project comprising 1,000 housing units.

“The principle behind the PSLP is simple: when a household is at imminent risk of losing their home, their current home is converted into subsidized housing, thereby preventing them from having to move,” the government stated in a news release.

“A person can therefore remain in their home while spending only 25 per cent of their income on rent,” it added.

Additionally, $7 million will be used to provide better support for homeless people living with severe mental health issues or substance use disorders through the PRISMD programme.

“The program aims to guarantee a bed in a shelter or transitional accommodation for a homeless person with mental health or addiction issues who wishes to stabilize their condition before moving into housing, by offering them appropriate and continuous care for a period of eight to 12 weeks,” the government explained.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 7, 2026.