Housing crisis | A record number of households at risk of becoming homeless

(Montreal) The Popular Action Front in Urban Redevelopment (FRAPRU) fears that the housing crisis will leave a record number of households homeless in the wake of lease expirations on 1^er July.

“Two days before the 1^er July, in Quebec, there were 750 tenant households who had not found housing, ”said FRAPRU spokesperson Véronique Laflamme in a telephone interview.

This estimate is based on requests for assistance received by municipal housing authorities across the province and may change if families find housing in the meantime.

The number is much higher than last year at the same date, when 420 households found themselves in a critical situation, explained Mr.^me The flame.

On the other hand, it is “more than 3,500 households who called on a support service this year”, compared to 2,000 the previous year.

In Montreal, there were 107 households on Friday “accompanied by the teams and which have still not found a permanent solution”, said the city’s communications department by email. Among these, “some were able to negotiate a short-term lease extension, others could be accommodated by relatives”. In any case, the City assured that it was able “to manage and temporarily accommodate” people in need.

According to M^me Laflamme, “these figures, ultimately, are the tip of the iceberg of the housing crisis”, while an unknown number of families have to live “in appalling situations” or in a home that is too small or too expensive for their needs.

FRAPRU will present an assessment of the situation on Saturday morning, during a press conference.

Additional help

Households in need of housing support are encouraged to call their municipal housing office or the Société d’habitation du Québec to receive immediate assistance.

Quebec announced on Wednesday an improvement in the housing allowance, the maximum amount of which will increase from $100 to $170 per month from 1^er October and an increase in the ceiling of rents eligible for the rent supplement program. As part of its “Operation 1^er July”, the government had also allocated 2 million for housing search assistance services, temporary accommodation and storage of goods.

“There is absolutely no reason for people to sleep on the streets tonight if these people call on the emergency teams of our housing offices,” underlined the Minister of Housing, Andrée Laforest, by email.

“This is a record sum that we have made available in anticipation of the 1^er July and we have enhanced immediate assistance for tenants in need. We are here to help you! Temporary accommodation and even storage of your furniture will be offered to you, if necessary, while we find you accommodation. »

However, these measures do not get to the bottom of the problem, according to FRAPRU. “We have the impression that the government is not acting with structuring measures,” said Ms.^me Laflamme, who calls for better legislative protections against real estate speculation, renovations and fraudulent evictions.

The withdrawal of section F of the lease, which allows the owner of a new dwelling to modify the rents as he sees fit during the first five years of marketing, is also in the sights of FRAPRU, as is the possible creation of a public register of rents. M^me Laflamme denounced the fact that, according to her, “the government is opening the door to the privatization of housing assistance” and abandoning the public Accès-logis program.

“Our government is putting in place structuring measures and building social housing, but also affordable housing,” said Minister Laforest. On the website of his ministry, we can indeed read that “more than 8,000 social and affordable housing units have been built or started by the Government of Quebec” since 2018, the election of the government of François Legault.

The latter had promised the creation of 15,000 of these dwellings.

At the City of Montreal, we “also reiterate the importance that Quebec and Ottawa agree to lower the amounts provided for housing in Montreal”, while 6,000 social housing units cannot be built or renovated until the levels of government superiors did not agree on the funding arrangements.

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Emergency service of the Société d’habitation du Québec: 1800 463-4315

Information line of the Administrative Housing Tribunal: 1800 683-BAIL (2245)

Housing assistance from the City of Montreal: 311