Frances Foster has been living in the same studio apartment in Montreal’s Mile-Ex neighbourhood for the last 31 years.
Sitting at her easel, her back to the window and a paintbrush in hand, the 65-year-old artist describes what the space means to her.
“I feel home, I feel a sense of tremendous creativity when I’m here,” Foster said. “I feel the most comfortable, the most connected when I’m here.”
Foster’s sense of belonging extends far beyond the walls of her home and into her community.
For 10 years, she and other activists fought to save a piece of land from development, leading to the creation of the yet-to-be completed Gorilla Park.
But that sense of community and security hangs by a thread.
Eleven months ago, Foster was handed an eviction notice and while a small victory has granted her a reprieve, her situation remains precarious.
“I have a window where in the next month I could get served a second eviction notice,” she said.
Foster doesn’t know where she would go if it comes to that.
“I can’t afford $1,000 plus,” she said of renting a new place. Alternatively, Foster has considered putting her belongings in storage and just living on the street.
The past year has been incredibly stressful for Foster, but sadly, her situation is far from unique.
Jannette Chiasson was evicted from her home over the summer.
The 76-year-old, who is legally blind, said she had to fight to not find herself living on the streets.
But that meant being relocated to a new neighbourhood and losing all that was familiar, leaving Chiasson feeling lost and unsettled.
That’s why she and Foster joined politicians and housing advocates to call on the provincial government for better protections for seniors on the rental housing front.
Québec solidaire’s Françoise David came out of retirement to support Foster and the many other seniors facing precarious situations.
David penned the so called “Françoise David Law,” which prevents landlords from evicting seniors aged 70 and over who have lived in their home for at least 10 years and have low incomes.
David and fellow MNA Andrés Fontecilla say that given the current housing crisis, that is no longer enough.
“The situation is critical, really critical,” she said.
Katherine McIntosh, who runs a shelter in the city’s Villeray neighbourhood said over the past year they’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of seniors seeking assistance.
In December 2022, the shelter had maybe one or two requests for services from seniors.
“Now, since the summer — since June 2023, exactly — we’ve seen at least 40 people over the age of 65 plus come into our resource,” McIntosh said, adding the shelter isn’t really equipped to meet the needs of that clientele.
McIntosh pointed to things like the building having stairs rather than escalators and a nurse who comes only twice a week as examples of where emergency services fall short for seniors.
“We’re hoping that policy changes will allow for elderly people to stay in their home,” she said.
That’s why Fontecilla is proposing amendments to Bill 31, the governing CAQ’s controversial housing bill.
The proposed legislation would allow owners to stop tenants from transferring their leases, among other changes.
It has raised concerns that it could further exacerbate the housing crisis.
Fontecilla wants the province to lower the age of protection to 65, the duration of occupancy to five years and raise the eligible income threshold.
A spokesperson for Quebec Housing Minister France-Elaine Duranceau said they are sensitive to seniors who rent and that Bill 31 aims to restore balance between renters and landlords.
Foster says Fontecilla’s proposed adjustment would help her continue living life in colour.
“That would bring an enormous sense of relief,” Foster said.
The National Assembly will begin detailed study of Bill 31 on Tuesday.
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