This Shelter Improvement Program (SIP) is dedicated to temporary shelters for women (regardless of age) and young people aged 28 (or younger) who are victims of family violence.
The objective of this program is to help non-profit organizations responsible for these shelters make them safe, healthy, and functional.
It therefore applies to shelters that require repairs or lack essential facilities to continue their mission.
Eligibility
This program, SIP, is effective throughout Quebec, including Nunavik, excluding Indian reserves.
This program is for non-profit organizations (NPOs) whose mission is to temporarily house victims of family violence, which fall into two categories:
- women and their children, if applicable;
- young people in difficulty aged 28 and under.
The organization must be recognized by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) and obtain its approval for the shelter to be covered by the program.
The organization must, as of the date of signing the aid application, hold ownership or a very long-term lease for the premises used as a shelter.
Aid Offered
The maximum financial aid is calculated based on the number of recognized residential units and the region concerned, namely:
- $18,000 for the South region;
- $21,000 for the North region;
- $27,000 for the Far North region.
Eligible Works
The shelter is eligible if it lacks essential facilities or requires repairs in at least one of the following categories:
- fire safety;
- electricity;
- plumbing;
- structural work;
- heating;
- client safety;
- accessibility for people with disabilities;
- spaces for activities intended for residents, including the development of play areas for young people and the installation of permanent play equipment (indoor or outdoor);
- spaces to make the shelter more functional.
Eligible costs for the calculation of financial aid include, where applicable:
- the cost recognized by the SHQ for eligible works (labor and materials supplied by the contractor);
- the cost of the municipal permit for the execution of the works, upon presentation of proof of payment;
- professional fees for code review, for the preparation of plans and specifications, for work supervision, and for the issuance of the work completion certificate;
- expertise fees recognized by the SHQ, if these fees are related to the approved project;
- related taxes, if applicable (GST and QST). Any tax refund that the applicant can claim must be deducted from eligible costs.
Work must not begin before being approved by the RCM or the municipality.
The work must be carried out by a contractor holding a valid and appropriate license issued by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, and holding a valid QST number. In this regard, En Mouvement is perfectly qualified.
Materials must be supplied by the contractor to be considered in the recognized costs. Materials must be new and at least of standard quality.
Financial aid will be disbursed upon completion of the work.
Program Enrollment
The MSSS, in conjunction with its partners, determines priorities among the applications submitted to it, and these are forwarded to the SHQ. The SHQ may establish priority criteria for project selection.
The organization is required to demonstrate to the SHQ the financial viability of the shelter, meaning it possesses the necessary financial resources to ensure the continuity of its activities. This information should be provided in the letter of support from the Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS) and the Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre (CIUSSS).
Application Submission
Any renovation project must be submitted by the organization (shelter) to the Directorate of General Social Services and Community Activities of the MSSS:
1075, chemin Sainte-Foy, 8th floor
Québec (Québec)
G1S 2M1
Telephone (secretariat): 418 266-6863
The documents to be submitted to the MSSS by the organization are as follows:
- the organization’s letters patent;
- the letter of support from the CISSS or CIUSSS;
- a description of the work and a summary estimate of its costs.
Following the analysis of the information provided by the MSSS, the SHQ entrusts the partner with the mandate to prepare a file for each selected project. The mandate is accompanied by the relevant documents.
Concurrently, the SHQ informs the organization that a mandate has been transmitted to the partner for file preparation.
