Montreal tenant battles ongoing mould issue

A Montreal tenant says she feels neglected and helpless as mould continues to spread under her home, with no action taken by the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) to address the issue.

Kaleen Schrouder has been dealing with mould problems for years. In December 2022, she temporarily relocated for seven months while the SHDM carried out remediation work. However, upon her return in July 2023, she discovered that the mould had reappeared shortly thereafter.

Since then, she has been trying to get the SHDM to fix the problem again, but to no avail.

“No one’s come here to physically come in here and say, let me see it, let me see what’s going on, let me see what you’re talking about,” said Schrouder.

Schrouder says the basement has flooded in the past due to storms, that’s where the mould is primarily located. Her lease, however, does not grant her access to the basement.

Schrouder worries that the mould will continue to infiltrate upstairs where she lives.

“How is it not gonna get into my home? How is it not affecting my home?” she said.

Last month, Schrouder hired an inspector that confirmed the presence of mould throughout her home.

Health Canada considers indoor mould growth to be a significant health hazard.

As a single mother, Schrouder says she mostly worries about her 8-year-old daughter Korie who is autistic and verbally delayed. She was recently diagnosed with asthma. 

“My daughter is not able to tell me when she is feeling ill, when she is not comfortable.”

As a single mother, Schrouder says she receives a subsidy from the Office Municipal d’Habitation de Montréal (OMHM) which means that moving out is not an option at the moment.

“The clause of the subsidy is that it’s five years in this actual location,” explains Schrouder. “If I decide to change locations at any point for any reason, my subsidy will then be relinquished from me.”

“That puts me in a predicament where I can’t just say, ‘Oh, I’m gonna get up and leave,'” says Schrouder. “Everyone knows this climate, everyone knows what’s going on right now with inflation and rent increase and everyone knows it’s not easy.”

Schrouder is working with a lawyer to resolve her issue.

On Friday, the SHDM told CityNews in a statement that, “The SHDM is closely monitoring Mrs. Schrouder’s situation and our teams have diligently addressed the damp problem several times. The SHDM is now actively working on a permanent housing solution for Mrs. Schrouder, which will be proposed to her next week.”

“It’s mentally exhausting, it’s physically exhausting” said Schrouder.