(Quebec) The Minister of Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, refused to improve the “Françoise David Law” aimed at better protecting seniors from evictions, despite amendments tabled by Québec solidaire (QS) and the Parti québécois ( PQ) Tuesday. According to her, her bill already contains several measures to protect people from evictions, regardless of their age.
In 2016, Françoise David – then deputy in solidarity with Gouin – unanimously adopted the Act to amend the Civil Code to protect the rights of elderly tenants. This law prevents an owner from evicting seniors aged 70 and over who have occupied their home for at least ten years and whose income is equivalent to or lower than the maximum threshold to be eligible for social housing.
During the study of Bill 31 on housing on Tuesday, Solidarity MP Andrés Fontecilla and PQ MP Joël Arseneau tabled several amendments in order to broaden the protection offered in the “Françoise David Law”.
In particular, it was proposed to increase the age from 70 to 65 years or even to reduce the length of occupation necessary to benefit from this protection from ten to five years.
“With the deepening of the housing crisis, it has become necessary to make another turn of the screws to this legislation to better protect senior tenants who are often victims of notices from [propriétaires] unscrupulous,” explained Andrés Fontecilla.
“It’s a question of improving the social safety net for the elderly. […] When we say that the phenomenon of homelessness has doubled and we see elderly people in it. These are people who have not been protected by the State of Quebec,” said Joël Arseneau.
Minister Duranceau, as well as her CAQ colleagues, voted against the proposals of QS and the PQ.
France-Élaine Duranceau justified her refusal by asserting that her bill will put in place several mechanisms to protect tenants against evictions. It will reverse the burden of proof for evictions to put the responsibility on the shoulders of the owner.
If a tenant does not respond to an eviction notice, they will not be considered to have accepted it by default, as is currently the case. Finally, the legislative document will also oblige the owner who evicts a tenant to compensate him in the amount of one month’s rent per year of continuous residence in the accommodation.
“There are many people who are not vulnerable at 65. So, we come to protect the people who are there with eviction measures and that is how we act,” said the minister.
France-Élaine Duranceau has repeatedly said that her objective is to increase the supply of housing on the market to alleviate the current crisis.
The study of Bill 31 resumed Tuesday after being paused during the holidays. Currently, no further study sessions of the legislative piece are scheduled for the remainder of the week.