In Quebec, hundreds of people remain on the hunt for a new home as July 1 marks the province’s traditional moving day.
The Front d’Action Populaire en Réaménagement Urbain (FRAPRU), a housing advocacy organization, said Monday that some 1,300 households are still looking for help in finding a place to live. Of those, 147 are in Montreal.
“It’s a bleak picture,” said FRAPRU spokesperson Veronique Laflamme.
In Quebec, the majority of leases end on Canada Day. The annual migration sees renters play musical chairs with apartments.
Finding housing was “extremely difficult” this year, according to FRAPRU. Laflamme said vacancy rates hovered below three per cent all over the province.
Montreal’s municipal housing office, known as the OMHM, confirmed it has received 811 calls for assistance since the beginning of 2024. It has helped 244 households in their search for new abodes and it says 38 tenants have found temporary accommodations.
“The teams are continuing their work with supported households to find a lasting housing solution,” the OMHM said in an emailed statement Monday.
“On July 1, people should contact 311 if they are at risk of becoming homeless.”
The Quebec government recently tabled legislation to put a moratorium on most evictions, but housing advocates say more needs to be done to keep a roof over people’s heads.
The Welcome Hall Mission, which helps support homeless and vulnerable Montrealers, helped rehouse five people in June. CEO Sam Watts says the situation could have been avoided and that prevention is key.
“If we can help them stay where they are, at least they’re housed,” Watts said. “Once they’re unhoused, we create a situation that requires a whole lot of resources, and it’s actually very costly.”
— with files from Global’s Matilda Cerone and The Canadian Press