Estimated 77 households in Montreal ‘out in the street’ after July 1 Moving Day
Posted July 1, 2022 6:35 pm.
With Canadians across the country celebrating the nation’s birthday on July 1, it’s a different reality for Quebecers navigating the struggles of Moving Day.
And an ongoing housing crisis in the city has made this year’s Moving Day particularly challenging for some families. An estimated 77 households are expected to become homeless.
“If they don’t find something for the first of July, they are out on the street and that’s just the reality right now,” said Philippe Desmarais, the spokesperson for the Southwest borough housing committee POPIR. “And it’s happening in these neighbourhoods of the Southwest, but also elsewhere in Montreal.”
BACKGROUND: Surging rents, lack of affordable housing leading to evictions and poverty, warns advocate
Advocates say the housing crisis in Montreal is getting worse. Just within the Southwest borough, POPIR has received notice of approximately a dozen people who risk being homeless as of July 1.
The city is offering emergency housing to those who couldn’t find a place to stay, but some say bureaucracy gets in the way of efficiency, and many are struggling to actually get the emergency housing they need.
“They have super specific criteria and ask for a lot of things, so in the end it’s really, really limited what they offer. And that’s a big problem,” said Desmarais.
Renting moving trucks has been another big hassle. Many say they had to make reservations several months in advance and only found trucks off-island, with strict time limits.
“It was super hard,” said Matthew Tawa, who moved into his Pointe-Saint-Charles apartment on Friday. “We actually had to go to Boucherville and it was not even my reservation, it was my friend’s reservation that they cancelled. Every truck on the island of Montreal and Brossard, Longueuil and stuff is taken, so it was pretty difficult and it’s expensive.”
Tawa said it took several months to find his new place.
“My other roommate was also struggling to find something. I mean they found it, I don’t know anyone who failed to find one, but it was a grind,” said Tawa.
RELATED:
Shelters and organizations say they are short on volunteers for moving day
Moving industry hit with labour shortage ahead of July 1 Moving Day
Some didn’t succeed at all. Sabah Naorin from Montreal North has been looking for an apartment for herself and two children for more than two years. Naorin wants to give her teenagers their own separate rooms and be free of the cockroaches and bugs that are in her current place.
She’s been turned down countless times, even after applying and providing the proper documents.
“It’s really frustrating, finding an apartment within your affordability and in your budget, that seems impossible,” said Naorin.
“The price of rent is going up and up and there’s also not enough social housing,” said Desmarais. “The government talks about affordable housing, but what is affordable housing? You can say that a condo that is cheaper than others is affordable. So what’s the definition of affordable?”
