All Quebecers have heard you play down the housing crisis in recent days. At a time when thousands of people, tenants taken by the throat or young families unable to buy their first apartment or their first house, are in a precarious situation, you discuss the rights of the owners or then of a supposedly “poor” Quebec who must bear the inconveniences of an unprecedented real estate increase. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
And now older women are being evicted from their homes and ending up in homeless women’s shelters.1 ! To break the heart.
The workers do their utmost to welcome them, but already lack the places and the arms to assume their usual responsibilities. This is why we are writing to you together today. Bill 31 recently tabled by the Minister of Housing, in addition to containing several problems identified by organizations active in the housing sector, makes no room for the issue of senior tenants.
A reminder
In 2016, in an extremely rare gesture for an opposition party, Québec solidaire pulled off a feat of passing Bill 492 aimed at prohibiting the evictions of people aged 70 and over who had lived in their homes for at least 10 years old and having a modest income.
For seven years, this law has allowed many seniors to stay in their homes without fear of being evicted. It is high time to broaden the scope of this law. Throwing elders on the street to make flips real estate, Airbnb or luxury condos when we are going through the worst housing crisis in Quebec in 20 years makes no sense. That’s not it, taking care of those who have given a lot to Quebec society and deserve basic respect.
When the serial renovator Henri Zavriyev got his hands on the 200 units of the Mont-Carmel seniors’ residence with the intention of evicting the tenants and “making a dollar”, it was all of Quebec that was shocked. With reason.
The struggle of the seniors of Mont-Carmel has become a symbol of resistance against real estate speculators. Mont-Carmel is the emblematic place of the struggle for the right of seniors to housing, for the right to dignity. But we must think of the many seniors whose plight is silent and unrecognized. Women, especially. They are not yet 70 years old and are not protected by law 492.
What we are proposing today is a concrete way to better protect seniors from evictions: expand the scope of the current law to include people aged 65 and over who have lived in their homes for at least five years. , and increase the maximum income of persons protected by the law.
This would protect a greater number of seniors from evictions. And do you know what? It wouldn’t cost the state a penny!
Our parents and grandparents built the Quebec of today; they deserve to age with dignity and security. If you have heart and consideration for Quebec seniors, expand the scope of the law adopted in 2016 and passed unanimously by the National Assembly. Including by you, Mr. Legault!