Montreal mayoral candidates promise more police, more housing, more funding for community

In the final week of thecampaign, we're following the race for mayor of Montreal. You can check out the party platforms here and more of our in-depth coverage here.Here's a look at what's happeningtoday.

With less than a week to go before polls close in Montreal, the city's leading mayoral candidates are making last-minute campaign promises with hopes of attracting the support of undecided voters.

Valrie Plante is now vowing to hire 250 new police officers by the end of 2022.

The Projet Montral leader made the announcement Tuesday afternoon as she listed her top priorities for her first 100 days in office were she to be elected to a second term.

Her rival Denis Coderre made a similar commitment on Oct. 25, but Plante said she had already been looking into hiring at least 220 new officers.

Throughout his campaign, Coderre has been insisting Montreal needs more police on the streets.

His party, Ensemble Montral, says it will start hiring the 250 officers right away, and if needed, would ask Quebec to increase funding for the province's policing school to meet that demand.

This debate has emerged from a surge in gun violence over the summer that prompted the provincial government to invest $90 million in the fight against firearm trafficking.

Balarama Holness, community activist turned mayoral hopeful, has said it's time to rethink public security investing in communities that have been "underfunded for decades" as a way to prevent crimes.

The Mouvement Montral leader has said this could be done by drawing money from the police budget for salaries.

But Coderre and Plante have both suggested that it's possible to invest in these communities while boosting the police service's budget.

In a statement Tuesday, Plante said she would, along with hiring the new officers, "increase funding for community groups, particularly in northeast Montreal, which work in violence prevention, to $5 million."

Key stories to read before voting:

Affordable living, affordable housing

Plante began the last week of her campaign by pledging to make life more affordable for middle-class families.

"We're so happy that families choose to stay in Montreal, but we know it's tough," she said.

Plante said she would do that by making public transit free for those under 12 and half-price for those aged 12 to 17.

She said she would also offer a tax break to homeowners whose property's municipal evaluation is under $500,000. How big of a break? Well, that depends on the value of your home.

With these initiatives,middle-class families would save up to $1,100 per year, Plante said.

Coderre ispromising to take actions based on a long-term vision for the city that includes going carbon neutral by 2045.

That plan, named "Vision 2045,"includes revamping the Old Port with new condos, parks, bike paths and a beach near Habitat 67.

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While housing turned out to be a significant issue in the recent federal election, the municipal government also has power to impact buyers and renters in Montreal.

Ensemble Montral is aiming to build some 50,000 new homes, including 16,000 social and affordable units. Coderre says he would do this on publicly owned land, and through density bonuses for developers.

"I hope I have convinced you that my team and I are in the best position to bring Montreal to where it deserves to be," he said Twitter Sunday.

Housing promises empty without money

Plante has promised 60,000 more housing units over the next decade. While Coderre is promising 10,000 fewer, Holness is aiming for 30,000.

But none of these promises are realistic ifthe provincialand federal governments don't put more money into housing,experts say.

The city owns several buildings that could be developed into social housing, including thePlaza Hutchison in Parc-Extension. But the property still hasn't been renovated, a year after being bought.

As a result, Hlne Blanger, professor of urban studies and tourism at the Universit du Qubec Montral,the city finds itself in a "bizarre situation of being able to invest, but [it] doesn't have enough money to finish the projects."