In recent days, the Minister responsible for Housing and the Premier of Quebec have in turn evaded questions from journalists regarding the formal recognition by the Quebec government of the right to housing. Why avoid answering the question when Quebec has already clearly recognized this right like others, by formally adhering in 1976 to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights?
By endorsing this Pact, Quebec has undertaken to respect, protect, promote and implement a whole series of rights, as well as to act “to the maximum of their available resources” with a view to “progressively ensuring the full exercise rights recognized by all appropriate means. One of the rights concerned is that of “everyone to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, as well as to the constant improvement of their living conditions.” existence “.
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the United Nations (UN), whose mission is to monitor the application of the Covenant and to specify its content, has defined this right to adequate housing as that “ to a place where people can live in safety, peace and dignity.” This committee specifies that the enjoyment of the right to housing must not be subject to any form of discrimination and that it must in particular include legal security of tenure, ability to pay, habitability, quality of housing and access facility.
It is obvious and even blatant that this right is currently compromised, for tens of thousands of people in Quebec.
The shortage of rental housing which is seriously affecting all regions is the most severe in 20 years. Abusive rent increases are increasing, to the detriment of new households and those who are forced to move. Real estate speculation is wreaking havoc in more and more municipalities and “profit-driven” evictions ensue more often than not, generally affecting tenants paying low rents. The stock of still affordable rental housing is crumbling at high speed, in addition to being poorly protected against conversions into condos and transformations into tourist accommodation.
Housing has become a source of quick enrichment for large investors, notably pension funds and real estate investment trusts, who seek to obtain the juiciest returns possible. Using aggressive strategies, developers and property owners are transforming previously affordable rental housing into expensive apartments. Tenants are forced to leave their communities and live in housing that is too expensive, too small or in poor condition.
More and more people have to resort to unchosen roommates. A growing portion finds itself without housing and in a situation of homelessness. The homeless camps that abound throughout Quebec bear witness to this. In other cases, homelessness is invisible, but the consequences are no less profound.
Half of Quebec’s renter households have an income below $48,400 per year. Among them, 373,615 spend more than the standard 30% of their income on rent with a median income of $23,800; 128,795 spend more than half of their income on housing, with an average annual income of $16,800 per year. Such a rate of effort devoted to housing comes at the expense of other equally essential needs, such as food, electricity, medicine, clothing, transportation, and school supplies.
Faced with all these denials of their right to housing, tenants have little, if any, recourse. Too many people do not know their rights. The exercise is further hampered by difficult access to the court while requests explode. The social safety net is insufficient since when we need an alternative to private housing that is far too expensive, there is no social housing available. Waiting for several months, or even years, is not an option when housing problems are immediate.
Although the Quebec government is increasing its announcements, the impression persists that there is no real desire to prevent all these people from falling into poor housing, nor an overall vision. If there is one, it too often seems to be the desire to make the path easier for investors so as not to discourage them. This is particularly due to the absence of a global housing policy based on the recognition of the right to housing which would make it possible to adequately guide government interventions. It seems more and more obvious that the government action plan promised by successive CAQ housing ministers will not be enough, should it actually end up being tabled.
In order to dispel all doubts, and to formalize its commitments, Quebec must explicitly recognize the right to housing in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and adopt a housing policy with the objectives of advancing the right to housing, better protecting tenants’ rights and significantly increase the proportion of social housing in the rental stock. This request is made by FRAPRU and more than 500 civil society organizations who have been waiting for several months for the government to respond.