Anti-poverty groups denounce anti-poverty plan

The proposal is grandiose. Designed to "give Montreal its second wind" and "integrate Montreal into the global economy" at the same time as it revitalizes "sensitive" (i.e. poor) areas, an agreement to create jobs, improve living conditions and promote beneficial development in the city was signed April 1 by Mayor Bourque and Quebec municipal affairs minister Louise Harel.

But community groups are wondering whether there is anything concrete beneath the platitudes in the agreement, and why groups that have been fighting poverty in neighbourhoods for decades were not consulted when the agreement was drawn up.

The Coordination du mouvement communautaire montréalais (CMCM), an umbrella organization of local community groups, is asking that a moratorium be put on the project. While they're happy the money is being spent to fight poverty, "it's the way they want to do it that's problematic," says Gary Saxe of Project Genesis, which is a member of the CMCM.

At last Monday's council meeting, says Saxe, Bourque's answers to questions about the agreement were vague. "Bourque basically said, 'We're going to make sure there are trees in certain areas and basketball courts in parks, and make sure there's some good housing.' Well, one of the reasons there's bad housing is that there's a lack of city inspectors. There's nothing in the agreement about hiring more inspectors."

--Jacquie Charlton