Brief on the City of Montreal's Social Development Policy

As part of the Commission sur le développement social et la diversité montréalaise's consultation on social development, the Regroupement intersectoriel des organismes communautaires de Montréal (RIOCM) worked in collaboration with several organizations (including the Table des groupes de femmes de Montréal), to draft a brief, whose primary recommendations are as follows:

• That the City of Montreal adopt a moratorium on writing its social development policy, giving community groups time to implement a collective reflection process on the issue of social development and to adjust its content in light of the provisions included in the bill on Montreal's metropolis status and the government action plan to fight against poverty and social exclusion.
• That the City recognize Quebec's policy on community action and develop a partnership framework that respects its principles.
• That the City recognize the collective defense of rights as an essential element of civic participation.
• That any action plans developed as a result of the social development policy include participatory budgets with gender considerations.
• That the City apply a differential gender-based and intersectional analysis to its social development policy and integrate the entirety of its policy on Promoting the Equal Involvement of Women and Men in the Montreal Community.
• That family-work-study balance be included in its social development policy.
• That programs for youth organizations be developed and defined in partnership with community stakeholders that work with adolescents.
• That boroughs harmonize their action plans with the social development policy to ensure its implementation in their jurisdictions.
• That boroughs harmonize their recognition and support policies for NPOs, including a statement of respect for their autonomy.
• That neighbourhood gentrification be addressed in the social development policy with the goal of finding solutions for the many problems this phenomenon creates.
• That the City include the implementation of social fare schedules for public transit in its social development policy.
• That the City recognize the status of regional community organizations and provide them with logistical support and the funding they need.
• That the City recognize associations of regional community organizations as preferred partners, as a result of their member advocacy, in addition to providing an overall vision of the various issues related to social development.
• That the City provide community organizations with more affordable office space.
• That the City improve its financial aid program for NPOs that rent space and ensure that the organizations that own their spaces benefit from a tax exemption.