Our paths are diverse. But we speak together today, saddened and shaken by what we hear and read about the housing crisis. A crisis that no one doubts anymore, so many people suffer from it. First and foremost, women. Why them? Because even today, their incomes are lower than those of men. Because their family responsibilities, although more shared, often place a heavy mental burden on them. Because domestic and sexual violence overwhelms a large number of them. And because older women too often live poor and alone.
A differentiated analysis between the sexes would demonstrate that women are the first people to need housing and particularly social housing given their precarious situation. This situation worsens with age — 90% of women over 65 live in rentals — and cultural origin, particularly black women, who very rarely own property.
According to the Portrait of Québécoises (Conseil du statut de la femme, 2022), even if the employment rate of women is very close to that of men, their income is lower. According to the Housing NPO Network, women earn 83% of the median income of men in Quebec. Seventy-five percent of single-parent heads of families are women, most often with modest incomes. Since women are poorer, they find themselves renting more often than men. This is why they are more often eligible for subsidized housing and why they reside there in greater numbers, especially if they have children. Women over 65 are poorer than the entire population and find themselves paying more than 30% of their income for housing.
Human dramas
When a housing crisis rages, when it becomes dramatically difficult to find affordable housing, when too many owners consider housing simply as real estate, a source of profit, when eviction looms, many women are trapped. Leaving an abusive partner? To live where? Will they have to endure an unacceptable situation any longer? When you have to spend 30%, 40% or more of your income on housing, the risks of ending up on the street are enormous. This gets worse in regions such as Montreal, where the vacancy rate is less than 1%.
Facing eviction from a home that you have occupied for a long time because you are not yet 70 years old and have an income that barely allows you to get your head above water, a How does an older woman experience it? We know it: it is a tragedy that affects this woman in her entire being. A loss of bearings which will affect his physical and mental health.
We cannot remain silent in the face of these human tragedies. Men, young people and people from minority groups are also hit hard by the housing crisis. However, we draw the legislator’s attention to the particular situation of women. The current Quebec government says it is concerned about their situation, about the persistent struggles for equality. He has a golden opportunity to demonstrate his willingness to act. We are asking him to substantially improve Bill 31 in order to establish a real balance between the rights of tenants and those of owners.
We suggest that it accept the amendments proposed and supported by Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois as well as by major civil society associations related to the protection of elderly tenants. We expect that when the budget is finalized, the Minister of Finance will announce the rapid start of construction on thousands of social, cooperative and community housing units. The government of Quebec must act as leader in this project and move quickly!
The time has come to act quickly by taking the full measure of a crisis which is becoming more and more unbearable for many people and families, first and foremost women. Quebec and the women of Quebec deserve better!