“On the eve of July 1, there were 750 households of renters who had not found housing,” in Quebec, according to Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson for The Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU).
This estimate is based on applications for assistance received from municipal housing offices throughout the province.  It could change depending on how many families will be able to find housing soon.
That day, the number is much higher than last year, when 420 households were at risk of having nowhere to move, Laflamme said.
As of Friday, there were 107 households in Montreal “accompanied by teams and still without a permanent solution,” a city spokesperson said in an email to The Canadian Press.
Among them, “some have been able to negotiate a short-term lease extension, while others will be able to be housed by relatives.”  In all cases, the city says it has been able to “manage and temporarily house” those in need.
According to Laflamme, “these numbers are the tip of the iceberg of the housing crisis,” with an unknown number of families living in “abhorrent (housing) situations” or in housing that is too small or too expensive for their needs.
FRAPRU will present an update on the situation on Saturday morning at a press conference.
Moving day in Montreal means piles of furniture and other discarded items on the streets.  (Touria Izri/CTV News)

A CONSTANT SOURCE OF STRESS

A recent Léger poll found that housing remains a constant source of stress for many in the province.
The survey found that 47 per cent of renters, 55 per cent of single-parent families, 46 per cent of households with an income of less than $40,000 per year, 44 per cent of immigrant families and 34 per cent of Greater Montreal residents they feel a lot of stress when it comes to the housing situation.

HELP AVAILABLE

Households in need of housing support are encouraged to call the municipal housing office or the Société d’habitation du Québec for immediate assistance.
On Wednesday, Quebec announced an increase in the housing benefit from the current maximum of $100 to $170 a month, starting Oct. 1, and an increase in the maximum amount of rent eligible for the supplemental rental program.
As part of “Operation July 1”, the government also allocated $2 million for housing assistance, temporary housing and goods storage.
“There is absolutely no reason for people to sleep on the street tonight if they call our housing authorities’ emergency teams,” Housing Secretary Andrée Laforest said in an emailed statement.
However, these measures do not get to the root of the problem, according to FRAPRU.
“We feel the government is not acting with structural measures,” said Laflamme, who is calling for better legislative protections against property speculation, renovations and fraudulent evictions.
They point to a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) report that found only 18 out of every thousand units with three or more bedrooms are available for rent in Quebec.
“Because they are often considered less profitable, large units are neglected by private developers and those that are built are not affordable,” said FRAPRU spokeswoman Véronique Laflamme.

DO YOU NEED HOUSEKEEPING?

 Quebec Housing Society Emergency Service: 1-800-463-4315     Administrative Housing Tribunal Information Line: 1 800 683-BAIL (2245)     Housing assistance from the City of Montreal: 311 


— This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French with files by CTV’s Daniel J. Rowe on July 1, 2022.