Fréchette refuses to commit to summit on homelessness

A man sleeps on the street in Montreal. (FILE)

The CAQ government refuses to commit to holding a summit on homelessness, as requested by a coalition of public figures and organizations.

Premier Christine Fréchette acknowledged the need for better coordination, as the coalition argues, but did not come forward in support of a summit, unlike the Parti Québécois (PQ) and the Liberal Party (PLQ).

In late May, at the initiative of former Premier Pauline Marois, a group of prominent figures called in an open letter for a commitment from each of the major parties to hold a major summit on homelessness by June 2027 if any of them forms the next government.

“Even more important than holding a summit is having coordination,” the premier replied at a press conference on Thursday in La Malbaie, when asked if she would commit to organizing it should she form the government again in October.

She emphasized that she is already focusing on coordination with municipalities and the federal government.

She also noted that her Minister of Municipal Affairs, Samuel Poulin, will be holding a summit with cities in a few weeks and that homelessness will be a key topic of discussion.

“Homelessness is an issue I have prioritized,” she said.

“Beyond a summit, we have already implemented several initiatives and taken action,” added Fréchette, citing recent investments of $28 million and $21 million related to the fight against homelessness.

In the open letter published by Le Devoir at the end of May, the signatories—including the mayors of Montreal and Quebec City, Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Bruno Marchand—called for “setting a course toward zero homelessness,” as Finland has successfully done.

Behind this movement is Marois, who explained that the scale of the crisis prompted her to speak out. Through the consultations she had conducted in recent months, she had observed a lack of coordination in efforts to combat homelessness, despite a great number of commendable efforts and achievements.

She argued that holding a summit would, in particular, help build consensus and agree on concrete measures.

Both Liberal leader Charles Milliard and his PQ opponent, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, had responded positively to the call by agreeing, should they be elected in the October election, to convene all stakeholders at a major summit.

In the 2025 census of people experiencing homelessness, no fewer than 12,000 people were counted across Quebec.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 4, 2026.

Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press