Six Quebec cities launch joint video campaign to raise awareness on homelessness

Tashi Farmilo

In a coordinated effort to address homelessness and promote social inclusion, six major cities in Quebec—Gatineau, Lévis, Longueuil, Québec City, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, and Sherbrooke—have released two video capsules designed to inform the public and prompt reflection on the realities of life without stable housing. The initiative, announced on June 16,encourages solidarity and deeper understanding of social marginalisation.

The videos, Démystifier l’itinérance and Lutter collectivement contre l’itinérance, stem from a shared municipal commitment to dismantling stigma and fostering support for vulnerable residents. Now available online, the films present a mix of personal accounts and community messages that highlight both the causes of homelessness and the importance of collective care.

This joint campaign complements each city’s existing efforts to tackle housing precarity, with the municipalities uniting their resources to produce a shared message with province-wide resonance. It reflects a growing recognition that housing insecurity is not confined to one jurisdiction—and neither should the response be.

“The people experiencing homelessness are residents like any others,” said Steven Moran, Gatineau’s Commissioner for Homelessness. “We believe it’s essential to support social coexistence in our communities. Through our awareness efforts and support for local organisations, we reaffirm the importance of addressing this issue with humanity, rigour, and commitment.”

Other municipal leaders echoed this perspective. Québec City Mayor Bruno Marchand described the campaign as “a call to solidarity, to listening, and to humanity.” In Longueuil, Mayor Catherine Fournier noted the project complements the city’s recently adopted action plan, while Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu’s Mayor Andrée Bouchard emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts that “protect both the dignity of the most vulnerable and the vitality of our communities.”

For Sherbrooke Mayor Evelyne Beaudin, the project represents a step toward a more equitable society: “We create, together, a community more just, for all.”