SAFETY CAMPAIGN TARGETS OVER 10,000 SOCIAL HOUSING SENIORS

14 juin 2013

Montreal, June 14, 2013 – This morning, on the eve of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Ville de Montréal, Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), Tandem Montréal and the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM) presented the campaign Three Keywords for Your Safety, which encourages seniors to be vigilant.

This campaign is aimed at developing safe habits among tenants. The three keywords are associated with three habits, namely: keep their apartment door locked at all times; ask people to identify themselves by intercom before letting them in; and close the building door behind them so that strangers cannot enter.

This presentation took place at Habitations Saint-Vallier, a seniors’ social housing project located in Rosemont, in the presence of Émilie Thuillier, Vice-President of the Executive Committee of the Ville de Montréal and responsible for, among others, families and seniors, Commander Vincent Richer, from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), Johanne Daigle, Director of Tandem Rivière-des-Prairies – Pointe-aux-Trembles and Chair of the Table des directeurs of Tandem Montréal and Denis Quirion, Executive Director of the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM). The event brought together stakeholders from each organization, as well as OMHM tenants.

From mid-May to mid-June 2013, SPVM, Tandem Montréal and OMHM stakeholders conducted a door-to-door campaign blitz in some 55 low-rent seniors’ high-rises scattered throughout 14 boroughs of the Island of Montreal. Door-to-door activities will continue sporadically in the low-rent seniors’ high-rises not visited over the past month. By the end of 2014, the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal hopes to reach all of its elderly tenants, that is, over 10,000 seniors.

"During the past few years, the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal adopted a safety action plan. This campaign adds to the other measures implemented to improve the safety and feeling of safety of our social housing tenants," said Denis Quirion, Executive Director of the OMHM.
Tandem Montréal is a long-standing partner of the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal. This door-to-door blitz and the messages conveyed are in keeping with the mission of the Tandem urban safety program. "We want to mobilize the residents to get involved in activities aimed at finding tools and changing behaviour, so that they take responsibility for their own safety," explained Johanne Daigle, Chair of the Table des directeurs of Tandem Montréal.

"Seventeen neighbourhood police stations are taking part in the campaign and I can assure you that both the commanders and the participating community relations officers are aware of the importance of reiterating these instructions. This partnership between the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal and Tandem Montréal is important for the police department. We feel that this exercise enhances the feeling of safety of Montreal’s senior population," said Commander Vincent Richer, from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal’s Community Relations Department.

"In its 2013-2015 action plan, the Ville de Montréal firmly commits itself to making Montreal a safe city for seniors. The campaign launched today constitutes another step in the right direction, since more seniors will adopt safe habits. We want an increasing number of seniors to feel safe in their homes," underlined Émilie Thuillier, Vice-President of the Executive Committee and responsible for, among others, families and seniors at the Ville de Montréal.

-30-

Source:
OMHM
Caroline Pelletier, Communications Manager
514 868-3247
caroline.pelletier@omhm.qc.ca

Information:
Ville de Montréal
Sarah Shirley, Press Attaché
Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee
514 872-5628

Media Relations
SPVM
514 280-2015

OMHM
Étienne Provost
514 289-8688, ext. 249
etienne@morinrp.com