Montreal gears up for moving day amid housing crisis

Take a walk or drive down a street in Montreal and you will most likely see double-parked moving trucks and the familiar site of tape or string between two chairs to reserve a spot.

It’s moving day in Quebec and renters across the city are finding it harder and harder to find an affordable apartment.

“They are making it more difficult to lease transfer, they’re making it more difficult with pets, so I had to foster my dog out because I wasn’t able to take him,” said Jesse Sutton, who was moving in Verdun on Friday morning.

Sutton moved to Montreal from Ontario at the beginning of the pandemic hoping to take advantage of the city’s reputation.

“Montreal is very quickly turning into Toronto, which is the reason why I left Ontario,” he said.

According to Project Genesis, a non-profit organization that helps in areas such as housing, affordability in Montreal is under threat.

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“We need a real properly enforced lease registry so that landlords absolutely can not increase the rent between tenants anymore,” said Margaret van Nooten, a Project Genesis social rights worker.

She adds there are several reasons why Montreal is facing a housing crisis.

“We’re seeing much more heartlessness, we’re seeing what they call the corporatization of the housing market,” said van Nooten.

1:59 Quebec premier clarifies controversial housing remarks as moving day looms

The city said it is doing its best to provide help for those who can’t find affordable housing, doubling their budget from $1.5 million to $3.5 million “to help people on a short term to provide enough time to find a suitable apartment,” said city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin.

He adds the Montreal Housing Office (OMHM) works to find social housing or affordable rent for low-income households.

“No one should stay behind tomorrow on the first of July. Call 311 if you need assistance,” said Sabourin.

Approximately 115,000 households will move on Saturday. According to the housing office, there are still around 100 families (or individuals) without a place to call home.

“One of the solutions to this problem is that we have to invest in social housing,” said van Nooten.

According to the largest association of housing contractors in the province, to keep housing affordable, Quebec needs to build more than 100,000 units per year for the next decade.