(Ottawa) Three per cent of renter households in the country have experienced eviction from their apartment, and even more are likely to be in this situation due to the worsening housing crisis, tenant rights advocates warn .
Data from Statistics Canada released Friday show the extent of the problem: across Quebec, this means that nearly 45,000 households were evicted from their homes in one year, according to the results of the Canadian Social Survey, conducted in 2023.
“It affects thousands of people and it’s dramatic because these people often find themselves without a solution, have to live in bad housing or forced shared accommodation, have to force their children to move frequently, and some find themselves in a situation of homelessness,” deplores Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson for the Popular Action Front in Urban Redevelopment (FRAPRU). ” It is a scandal ! People are left to fend for themselves in terrible situations. »
The Statistics Canada data does not surprise him, since housing committees across Quebec are overwhelmed with calls from tenants who have received eviction notices, who need help to defend their rights or to find rehousing.
It’s likely to get worse in the coming months. Governments are not doing enough to avoid drastic rent increases when tenants change, which is why we see human tragedies.
Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson for the Popular Action Front in urban redevelopment
Last December, the Association of Housing Committees and Tenant Associations of Quebec (RCLALQ) unveiled a study showing a meteoric rise in the phenomenon of tenant evictions in Quebec: in one year, the number of forced evictions compiled by the group has more than than doubled, from 1,525 cases in 2022 to 3,531 cases for 2023, an increase of 132%. It is on the island of Montreal that we note the greatest increase in the number of cases, with 143%.
“Fraudulent evictions”
“We expect there to be another increase next year, and in the majority of cases, these are fraudulent evictions,” underlines Cédric Dussault, spokesperson for the RCLALQ.
In certain situations, a landlord has the right to evict a tenant. “But there are all kinds of situations where owners abuse and get away with it without consequences,” protests Véronique Laflamme.
Statistics from the administrative housing court also show that the number of complaints lodged or relaunched for housing repossessions increased by 71% between 2020 and 2022.
According to Statistics Canada, “among the main reasons cited for eviction were the fact that the owner wants to occupy the accommodation himself (30%), the sale of the property by the owner (17%) and the eviction of tenants to carry out major repairs or renovations (4%).”
Even if the relative proportion of evictions to make repairs or major renovations is low, statisticians point out that “renovictions” are on the rise. Data by province has not been disclosed, but we give the example of Hamilton, Ontario, where renovations increased by 983% between 2017 and 2022.
“We notice that this year, the tactics of renovictions and undue pressure are on the rise more than dazzling […] due to the Quebec government’s lack of will to really tackle these villainous practices,” argued the RCLALQ study from last December.
Social housing
The federal and provincial governments, which have been increasing the number of housing announcements since the start of the year, with an acceleration in recent weeks, each maintain on their side that they have acted to avoid such abuses.
“We want to protect the rights of tenants and protect rents. We announced a Charter of Tenants’ Rights as well as a fund to help organizations that defend tenants’ rights,” underlined Soraya Martinez Ferrada, federal Minister of Tourism and Member of Parliament for Hochelaga, who participated in an announcement in Montreal on Friday. in matters of housing.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
France-Élaine Duranceau and Soraya Martinez Ferrada
The Quebec Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, who was present at the same event, for her part argued that the new law 31 provides for greater financial compensation for tenants in the event of eviction.
This does not satisfy tenants’ rights activists. “Financial compensation does not provide housing for the evicted person,” quips Cédric Dussault.
The governments of Canada and Quebec announced Friday the financing of 12 social and affordable housing projects in Montreal, which will add a total of 763 apartments. The latter were selected as part of the second call for projects from the Quebec Affordable Housing Program (PHAQ). Both levels of government as well as the City of Montreal participate in financing these projects.
Fight against homelessness and boosted construction
Meanwhile, the federal plan to resolve the housing crisis was unveiled in Ottawa. Although much of the plan was announced during the government’s pre-budget tour, several new measures were presented.
The federal government intends to increase the capital cost allowance rate for apartments from 4 percent to 10 percent, which will increase the amount builders can deduct from their taxes.
The plan also provides an additional billion over four years to combat homelessness as well as $250 million to help communities end encampments.
The Liberals promise to make more federal land available for residential construction and prevent large investors from purchasing existing single-family homes.
Other elements of the plan include training skilled workers, facilitating recognition of foreign credentials and increasing productivity in the construction sector.
Implementation of the Liberals’ housing plan will depend in part on the cooperation of provinces and territories, some of which have already pushed back against the federal government over what they see as an encroachment on their jurisdictions.