Homeless on July 1 | “People are desperate”

1^er July is a nightmare for many vulnerable people, especially in the midst of a housing crisis. This is the case of a mother, in Montreal North, who today finds herself homeless despite a signed lease, since the apartment is no longer available. The owner swears to have “acted in good faith”. A situation that illustrates the seriousness of the situation, according to the community environment.

Henri Ouellette-Vezina
The Press

“I have no accommodation. And I don’t know what I’m going to do. To live, we need housing,” says Stéphaica Cherfys, emotion in her voice. With her two children and her spouse, Jean-Benoît Cineus, she arrived in Quebec last March as an asylum seeker. Since then, the Haitian of origin has lived in accommodation on Pascal Street, in Montreal North.

At 1^er July, she had planned to move into another apartment nearby, on the same street and owned by the same owner. A lease, that The Press was able to review, had even been signed to move in earlier this month.

The bad news, however, arrived Thursday, 24 hours from the deadline: “Your contract is canceled as of June 30, 2022.” “I have no immediate solution, nor anyone to help me. It’s just not right to do that with people,” said the mother, whom she met in her neighborhood.

Reached by telephone, the owner of the accommodation, Natalia Buza, claims to have done everything to accommodate Stéphaica and her family.

It is that the current occupant of the accommodation, a single mother with three children, had given him a “notice of departure” a few months ago. But for personal and financial reasons, she finally reversed her decision.

“I can’t fire her in this situation. I try to collaborate, but honestly, I don’t have a magic wand. I did everything to accommodate everyone, ”says M^me Buza. The owner also recalls that she owns several buildings in the area, where “several asylum seekers” reside, for whom she says she has a lot of empathy.

Until the last minute

For the spokesperson for the Popular Action Front in Urban Redevelopment (FRAPRU), Véronique Laflamme, this situation illustrates that in less central neighborhoods such as Montreal North, the availability of affordable housing has become almost non-existent.

“We see that in the sectors located a little further from the center, it is really there that there is practically no housing left. Prices are constantly rising, and people who don’t want to leave their neighborhood can’t find places [où vivre] “, explains M.^me The flame.

As of 1^er July, more than a hundred households without a lease were accompanied by an assistance service in Montreal, a number which “is likely to increase” in the coming days, according to FRAPRU. The organization also estimated this week that around 750 tenant households had still not found housing, a sharp increase from last year. “These people are completely desperate, and not just in Montreal. Either they endure situations that don’t make sense, or they end up with nothing,” emphasizes the community organizer.

What is more, populations with precarious migratory status are “in an even more vulnerable situation”, recalls Véronique Laflamme. “There are many people who search until the last minute, but who do not find. It has to be taken care of,” she says, inviting all households in need to contact their local housing committee for immediate assistance.

Tons of moves

Like every 1^er July, Montreal is moving. And for many, it is also a day of celebration. At the corner of Berri and Sherbrooke streets, Jessie Lévesque was preparing to “leave town” for good, after having lived in the metropolis for six years, when The Press crossed him.

“We are going to the South Shore, where we grew up, to Beauharnois. We were a little tired of the city. We wanted to be bigger. And more tranquility, more calm,” he explains.

Further east, on avenue d’Orléans, in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Marie-Pier Dorais and Marc-Antoine Vallée said goodbye to their apartment to move into a condo, their first property. “The price of rents has increased so much, we have the impression that there are even fewer moves because of that”, notes Marc-Antoine, filling up his truck.

Denis and his niece, Annie, make the same observation. The young woman was moving into an apartment with two roommates when The Press met her. For a 5 ½ on De Lorimier Avenue, she and her friends are preparing to pay $1,800 a month. “It no longer makes sense,” says Denis, denouncing the cost of living that has become “unaffordable” with inflation.

On Bennett Avenue, Marilou chose to move above all for logistical reasons.

“With working at home, we lacked space for offices. We were really lucky, because it was a friend who waved to us when his roommates left. But for the movers, we didn’t take any chances: we booked four months in advance,” she concludes.