This text is part of the special International Women’s Day booklet
Of all the issues concerning women, if there is one on which there is consensus among all the aid groups and community organizations, it is housing.
“With the pandemic, the relationship to housing has changed, and in Montreal, the housing crisis is particularly affecting women, especially low-income tenants and those who are part of minority groups,” explains Marie-Ève Desroches, project manager at the Table of Women’s Groups of Montreal (TGFM). “Prejudices mean that, in a competitive rental market such as we currently have, many women are not seen as good potential tenants. »
We will remember that, last year, the image of an endless queue of people wishing to rent an apartment in Verdun made the headlines.
“It is certain that a woman ex-convict or part of a minority will lose in this competition. A woman who doesn’t have a good credit rating, who doesn’t have good references, is going to lose in this race for adequate housing. However, from our point of view, housing is a right and we should not have to go out of our way to get one. »
Behind this difficulty in accessing housing, other deeper problems are looming and pay inequity plays an important role.
“Women have been more affected by pandemic-related job losses. We also see significant poverty among older women who have not benefited from good wages during their lifetime. Wage inequalities and precariousness mean that women are more often tenants, and are also more dependent on social housing. »
Housing and containment
In 2019, the TGFM drew up an inventory of the situation of women’s right to housing in Montreal. A post-pandemic update shows that the situation has deteriorated further.
In the context of confinement and sanitary measures, working from home exposes female tenants to health problems and domestic violence.
“Dwellings that are too small and poorly soundproofed have become sources of conflict for families. With confinement, neighborhood conflicts have really exploded, and lead to harassment, discriminatory remarks and stress. This makes single mothers no longer feel safe, among other things. »
The increase in evictions and repossessions also strongly affects women, and some are not equipped to navigate through possible remedies and assert their rights.
Claims
Like many other groups, the TGFM calls on the government to take action to improve women’s access to housing by preserving an affordable rental stock. We are talking here about the establishment of a rent register, price control measures and a ban on repossessions of housing when vacancy rates are below 3%, among other things.
Wage inequalities and precariousness mean that women are more often tenants, and are also more dependent on social housing
Certain measures more specific to women are also demanded.
“We want cities to equip themselves with community officers to prevent situations of violence against women tenants. For example, in Montreal, we are starting to develop a certification for responsible owners. For the moment, this certification only concerns sanitation and rent increases. »
“We would like it to also take into account discrimination and sexual harassment. Someone cannot be considered a responsible landlord if there has been harassment in a building, or if tenants are entered without their consent, for example. »
Concerns around social housing
Social housing is obviously at the heart of the demands. In Montreal, 23,000 people are currently waiting to obtain housing in an HLM.
“We need massive investments in social housing, and we also need to offer a variety of options, especially for women from minority groups. Because right now, access is limited to women who participate in certain programs that are not suitable for everyone. We want women to have the choice of going to live in an environment that suits them. »
A new program, the Quebec Affordable Housing Program, announced recently and endowed with a budget of $200 million, is causing concern among community groups.
“There was no broad consultation with groups or gender-based analysis. We hear about affordable housing without a clear definition. For us, affordability should not be designed according to market prices, but relative to income. Ideally, the cost of rent should not exceed 25% of a person’s income. In addition, this program seems to favor larger real estate projects, to reach a higher housing target. Women’s groups encourage the development of smaller projects, in order to be able to offer better services and on-site support to tenants. »