Domestic violence: QS promises $57 million a year to add more shelters

Québec solidaire (QS) promises to invest $57 million per year over three years to help victims of domestic violence get back on their feet after having to leave a violent home.

This promise comes as there have already been five femicides since the beginning of the year.

The party made the announcement during the launch of its campaign in Chicoutimi for the by-election to be held in that riding on Feb. 23.

Part of the money would be used to build what are known as emergency and second-stage shelters, which assist and house women on a long-term basis. Another part would be used to improve the range of support services, such as psychosocial follow-up.

According to QS co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal, this amount is being requested by organizations and stakeholders consulted in the field, notably by the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale (Coalition of Shelters for Women Victims of Domestic Violence).

“Across Quebec, this is a national demand,” Ghazal said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “The goal of this funding is to meet the needs of women who call these centers but cannot find a place for themselves.”

In its brief submitted to the government during pre-budget consultations in January 2025, the Regroupement estimated the shortfall at $57.7 million for 2025-2026.

According to the Coalition’s data, one in two women is currently denied shelter due to a lack of available space.

Ghazal identified two main factors contributing to these refusals: the acute shortage of second-stage shelters and the administrative barriers that complicate the construction of new shelters.

For example, she pointed out that there are no long-term shelters in Saguenay. The nearest facility of this type is located in the borough of La Baie, so women often end up extending their stay in emergency shelters.

“There isn’t enough space in second-stage shelters, which is why first-stage shelters are so crowded,” explained Ghazal.

But it’s not enough to obtain the funds needed to build the shelters; permits must also be obtained.

In an open letter published in November, the Alliance of Second-Stage Shelters for Women and Children Victims of Domestic Violence denounced the administrative hurdles that were slowing down the construction of shelters.

The Alliance reports duplication of requirements between federal and provincial programs, “disproportionate administrative burdens,” and “inconsistent processes between levels of government.”

The co-spokesperson makes the same observation. “It’s extremely difficult to get a house off the ground. You couldn’t even fit a cat in there,” said Ghazal.

For now, she explained, the only way to obtain a building permit for shelters is to go through the same process used for the construction of social housing.

However, the needs, standards, and construction costs are far from the same. “Shelters do not fit into the very rigid categories of these programs,” said Ghazal.

“The windows can’t be like any other windows. For safety reasons, they have to be much thicker. (…) There have to be common areas, intervention areas, play areas for children, and there is no dedicated program for that,” she argued.

Ghazal called on the Quebec government to include the amounts requested by shelters in the next budget, scheduled for March.

The Canadian Press sent a request for comment to Caroline Proulx, the minister responsible for the status of women, but has not yet received a response.

“$57 million is not a huge amount in Quebec’s budget. We have a historic deficit, but we cannot seek to make savings at the expense of women because of the wasteful spending of the CAQ,” Ghazal argued.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews