Montreal housing activists FRAPRU protest Denis Lebel event

After trying unsuccessfully to set up a tent city for the past two days, social-housing activists areholding another day of protests to raise awareness about cuts to subsidized housing.

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About 30 demonstratorsgathered Saturdayin front ofPalaisdescongrsto loudly welcome federal Infrastructure MinisterDenisLebel, the Conservatives' Quebec lieutenant.

Lebelwas making a speechto the Union of Quebec Municipalities.

Federal and provincial cuts

The Front d'action populaire en ramnagement urbain(FRAPRU) is upsetaboutfederal and provincial government cuts to social housing in recent years.

FranoisSaillant, spokesman and coordinatorfor FRAPRU, saidQuebec will build only half as many units as originally planned for 2015.

More than 53,000 people are currentlyon a list forsocial housing with an average waitingperiod of four years, Saillant said.

Many protesters say the lack of housing makes getting out of poverty next to impossible.

Lebel said the federal government will still support low-incomehousing just in a different way.

"This is not the end of a program," he told reporters.

"It's the end of loans that had been contracted to pay in partnership buildings where there is public housing."

Workshops held

The protesters also held a series of workshopsand protestsat LaurierPark in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood.

Yesterday, they tried to pitch tents on Quebec government land near the corner of Pine Avenue and St-DenisStreet.

At least five protesters were arrested and thenreleased withticketsafter police followed through on the eviction order.

On Thursday, three protesters were arrested after they tried to set up a ten city near Montreal police headquarters on St-Urbain Street.