The number of “forced evictions” reported to the province’s housing committees continues to climb at a worrying rate, notes the Regroupement des committees logement et associations de tenants du Québec (RCLALQ), which today published a new report to document this phenomenon.
Last year, the group compiled 1,525 complaints received by several of its 62 member organizations; a number which climbs this year to 3,531, which represents an increase of almost 132%. “This is the largest increase in cases ever compiled by the groups,” mentions the RCLALQ in its 18-page report.
However, “it is only a tiny part of the cases of forced evictions which are reported to the housing committees”, mentioned Tuesday the co-spokesperson of the RCLALQ, Cédric Dussault.
The document also specifies that this growth in documented “forced evictions” increased by 143% in Montreal, compared to 121% outside the metropolis. The RCLALQ also notes that several of its member organizations which previously did not report complaints from tenants of this type began to do so this year. The number of groups participating in this compilation increased from 23 last year to 30 this year, which reflects, according to the group, the fact that the housing crisis is affecting more and more regions of the province.
In this context, the RCLALQ urges the Legault government, which should adopt its Bill 31 on housing next year, to adopt legislative changes which would oblige all owners’ projects concerning housing repossessions, evictions and major works to be subject to authorization and monitoring by the Administrative Housing Tribunal. The organization is also calling for a moratorium on housing repossession projects and eviction of tenants in sectors of the province where the vacancy rate is below the market equilibrium threshold, established at 3%.
A criticized methodology
This RCLALQ exercise raised criticism last year from the Corporation of Real Estate Owners of Quebec, which noted that both legal evictions and those that defy the law were counted by the grouping of tenant associations. The RCLALQ document specifies that calls from tenants relating to housing repossessions are counted in the same way as those relating to evictions for different reasons – legal or not – including “renovictions” and “undue pressure” to encourage tenants to leave their accommodation, for example in exchange for a sum of a few thousand dollars.
More details will follow.