Costly moves for Montreal tenants

Montreal tenants who have to move pay 23% more for their new housing, and they are much more at risk of experiencing an episode of homelessness, according to new data released Wednesday by the organization Vivre en ville.

Those who move break their piggy bank

“People who are moving today are experiencing a rent increase that far exceeds the rent increases that are listed in the averages,” points out Adam Mongrain, director of the housing sector at Vivre en ville. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), rent increases in the Montreal area are estimated at 8.5%, but they concern all apartments, particularly those where tenants are not moving. “If people are forced to move, the situation is extremely precarious. Very few people increase their after-tax income by $250 per month, especially for seniors. It is impossible to find this additional money,” notes Mr. Mongrain.

More expensive rents

The segment of housing with rent between $500 and $749 has been in sharp decline over the past year (from 25% to 18%), while the segment of housing with rent over $1,250 has been growing sharply (from 21% to 28%). In addition, 84% of Montreal tenants are not informed of the existence of section G of the lease, which indicates the rent paid for their housing over the past 12 months. “However, it is a legal requirement in Quebec to disclose this information,” recalls Adam Mongrain. “In the past year, it has not improved at all.”

Increase in homelessness

“The increase in homelessness due to rising rents or evictions shows us the variety of faces of homelessness: it’s you, it’s me, our neighbours, people in our community who have difficulty accessing a roof over their heads, which causes despair and a multitude of other problems,” emphasizes Robert Beaudry, responsible for homelessness on the executive committee of the City of Montreal. “It’s a huge source of concern,” adds Adam Mongrain. “This monstrous figure should guide all of our public policies.”

Hidden Roaming

“There are a lot of homeless people who sleep at a friend’s house or in their car, who will not tend to declare themselves as homeless, but there is a sharp increase in the number of people who have been in such a situation,” notes Adam Mongrain. He also points out that the erosion of the number of affordable housing units risks throwing more and more people onto the street.

Montreal households defend their rights

In Montreal, 11% of tenants have already gone to the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) to set their rent, which represents a relative increase of 37.5% since 2023. Adam Mongrain notes that if a rent register were set up by Quebec, fewer cases would end up before the TAL. Montreal households are the most likely in the province to defend their rights, reveals the Léger and Vivre en ville 2024 study, conducted from a web survey of 5,550 tenants in Quebec.