Families who live in poor social housing in eastern Montreal will be relocated quickly because the situation is “absolutely unacceptable,” Valérie Plante said Friday.

“It’s out of the question that people are in such unsanitary housing,” the mayor said in a telephone interview. “Of course we cannot accept a situation like that. »

The mayor continued: “We have been saying for years that there needs to be more investment from the Quebec government in its HLM real estate portfolio. There are sums that have been injected, but we must go further. »

La Presse revealed Friday morning that residents of Habitations Marie-Victorin had to live in deplorable conditions, with multiple holes in the walls, smashed ceilings and even bullet holes still visible.

“The families will be relocated urgently at our request,” said the elected official responsible for health issues on the executive committee, Despina Sourias. “Contact will be established this afternoon [Friday] and we expect [they] to be taken care of quickly.”

The local mayor, also a member of the Plante administration, asked for “work as quickly as possible” to renovate social housing in very poor condition in eastern Montreal.

“I want these families to be supported in finding other accommodation, so as not to live in the same conditions and for work to be carried out as quickly as possible. And here I am polite by saying as soon as possible,” reacted the mayor of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Caroline Bourgeois, to 98.5 FM. Habitations Marie-Victorin are located in its district.

Ms. Bourgeois also pointed the finger at Quebec, affirming that HLMs belong “officially to the government of Quebec” while being managed by the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM).

“When we have children with nosebleeds, we have a bad problem,” she added. “Just because it’s the OMHM doesn’t mean it’s more acceptable. »

The opposition at city hall placed the blame on the municipal administration.

“The City of Montreal is fining itself. We will have seen everything,” responded opposition leader Aref Salem. “The Plante administration said it wanted to crack down on negligent owners. Given that she seems indifferent to her infractions, what is the next step to crack down on and remedy her own negligence? »