Under the catch-all expression “housing crisis” stand various fights, which are no longer limited to the frantic race of the moves of the 1er July. This crisis, which the Legault government is slow to tackle with decent means, leaves people on the street and prevents others from finding suitable and affordable housing. In Quebec, we can no longer dream of a future home lightly. We can no longer run the housing without the anguish in the stomach.
According to the Popular Action Front in Urban Redevelopment (FRAPRU), 490 households in Quebec have not found housing at 1er July this year. Underneath these figures lies the tragedy of families and individuals unable to take advantage of one of the most fundamental rights, that of having access to a roof. These homeless people wander like urban refugees, dragging their bundles from one temporary shelter to another: whoever a friend’s basement, who a tent on the side of the highway, who the dubious comfort of a car, which still squarely the street. Homelessness is not always visible, it has its hidden facets that give the illusion of a lesser problem.
The numbers don’t tell the whole story. In fact, the “luck” of the blessed lodgers of the year often comes down to that of not being confined to the sidewalk. When we examine more closely the conditions in which many have accepted makeshift accommodation, an air of bad luck floats: unsanitary accommodation, too small for families dreaming in vain of an affordable multi-room apartment, or very far from the usual benchmarks.
The situation continues to deteriorate across Quebec: with a record vacancy rate of 1.7%, the housing market is running out of steam. Scarcity causes its usual price-inflating effect: The duty scrutinized average rent prices in 2022 and 2023 and created an interactive map that shows this escalation. In Rimouski, where the vacancy rate is 0.2% — below 3%, it is considered that there is a breaking point — the average price of rents increased by 36% between the spring of 2022 and 2023. The Statistical Institute of Quebec calculates that almost all municipalities with 10,000 inhabitants or more suffer from historically low vacancy rates.
To respond to this crisis of scarcity and affordable housing, the winning recipe lies in the construction of new homes. There are about 100,000 missing in Quebec, according to various estimates. Quebec, to which all eyes turn, remains a leader nonchalant in this file which nevertheless would require vigorous action. After having disappointed in the last budget in terms of housing, the Legault government has just announced that it will finance the purchase of buildings already built, in the private real estate market, to turn them into dwellings whose prices will be stable. This announcement, made in June by the Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, surprised more than one, because it was rather expected finally that the new is looming rather than recycling.
The Legault government has not demonstrated so far that it grasps the extent of the crisis. After having been reluctant for a long time to even recognize its existence, for months he has accumulated blunders, blunders and disappointments. The Prime Minister and his minister have alternately had unhappy words suggesting that they are approaching the housing file from a strictly economic lens, when despite the undeniable fact that the laws of the market are indeed behind the making of this crisis, we expect a government to take the source of its action by paying attention to the consequences. These bear names, have faces. Many citizens in Quebec are struggling to find a house that will not completely drain their budget.
Social and community housing, reputed to be affordable, is of course part of the solutions we are thinking of. Quebec believes in it, but does not press the accelerator: the last Girard budget promised 1,500 new affordable housing units over the next five years, a thin bandage on an open wound. The hot bill 31, tabled by Minister Duranceau on the last day of the parliamentary session, caused controversy as it seems to give pride of place to owners and offers no substance to alleviate the crisis.
The minister could add to her meager arsenal the imposition of a mandatory rent register. This would force landlords to officially record the price of their rental apartments, an effective way to control the galloping increase that some apply between two tenants. Finally, we can only subscribe to the request made in June by major players in the housing industry, employers, cities and social groups, who are urging the Prime Minister to bring together all the players concerned to carry out an inventory and build an action plan commensurate with the scale of the crisis. The government should seize this opportunity to join forces with these front-line experts to help it draw up its strategy, promised for the fall.