(Montreal) During the big moving day, Saturday, nearly 200 households were temporarily relocated, according to the Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ). And on the eve of the 1er July, hundreds of tenants were still without a lease.
“Among the requests that were sent to the network of housing offices or to the Customer Relations Center of the Société d’habitation du Québec, 178 households are currently relocated temporarily, either with relatives or at a hotel,” said the communications department of the SHQ, in an email sent to The Canadian Press.
According to Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson for the Popular Action Front in Urban Redevelopment (FRAPRU), the number of tenants who come forward to ask for help during the day, Saturday, “moves from hour to hour”.
On Friday, 680 tenant households who were accompanied by an aid service had still not managed to sign a lease, according to data from FRAPRU.
“This figure is only a pale reflection of reality, while it does not take into account households that have not yet come forward, people who, at the very last minute, seeing the difficulty to find a home, have resolved to sign a lease for a home that is too expensive, too small for their family, or in poor condition,” says Véronique Laflamme in an interview. According to her, this statistic is only “the tip of the iceberg”.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Véronique Laflamme, FRAPRU spokesperson
” [On sait que] people who hadn’t yet come forward are doing so on 1er July, people also have bad surprises on moving day,” she says.
The Premier of Quebec, François Legault, reminded the population, by means of a publication on Twitter, that it is possible to communicate with the emergency service of the SHQ for help, on Saturday.
“If you need help finding accommodation, call your housing office! There are resources available to help you, ”wrote Mr. Legault on the social network.
The mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, also recalled the assistance services available. “If you need resources, help to relocate or if you have not found housing, contact 311, the gateway to the support services of the City and our partners”, a- she wrote in a message posted on Twitter.
The SHQ also stated in writing to The Canadian Press that “every effort is being made to ensure that no household calling on our assistance network ends up on the street during this period of moving”.
An “extended” situation in the province
This year is the year when the housing crisis situation is “the most extensive” in Quebec, according to Véronique Laflamme, coming out of the major centers. She reminds us that housing is scarce, but that it is also unaffordable.
“There are several municipalities for which it is the first time, practically, where tenant households have not been able to find housing,” she says.
Among the municipalities where the housing crisis is being felt are Gatineau, Drummondville, Granby, Trois-Rivières, Saint-Hyacinthe, as well as Rimouski and Granby, where some fifty tenant households were still looking for a lease in the last few days, according to FRAPRU.
The day after July 1, 2022, FRAPRU had identified 620 tenant households who had not managed to find a home. The organization will unveil Tuesday, during a press conference, the data concerning the situation of this Saturday.
This dispatch was produced with financial assistance from the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for News.