1,426 Quebecers evicted from senior homes in 2024: survey

The closure of 87 private seniors’ homes (RPA) has evicted more than 1,400 Quebecers within the span of a year, according to a survey conducted by the Association québécoise des retraités des secteurs publics et parapublics (AQRP).

The AQRP found that 1,426 tenants were evicted between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, a decrease of 44 per cent compared to the same period last year.

These evictions came despite the legislation of Bill 65 last year, which set in place a three-year moratorium on evicting seniors.

The new law protects those 65 and over from evictions related to renovations if they have lived in their dwelling for at least 10 years and their income is equal or less than 125 per cent of the eligible level for subsidized housing.

“Despite the tireless efforts of our association, Bill 65 is not enough to stop the crisis. Certainly, evictions have dropped drastically; a sign of better support for relocating displaced seniors,” said AQRP president Paul-René Roy. “However, RPA closures have remained unchanged for a year. This business model is sinking. Each closure uproots seniors, plunging them into deep distress.”

The province’s Montérégie region saw the most closures, shutting down 15 RPAs which resulted in the eviction of 173 tenants.

Montreal’s l’Est-de-l’Île region ranked second with 11 closures and saw a 90 per cent increase in evictions since last year, totaling 282.

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On top of Bill 65, the provincial government rolled out a $200 million program for private seniors’ homes in an effort to slow down RPA closures. Despite this investment, the AQRP says these new policies have not solved the eviction crisis.

“A year later, this model continues to sink like the Titanic: RPA closures continue one after the other, leaving thousands of senior tenants adrift,” the association said in a statement.

To combat RPA closures, the AQRP is proposing a new model for senior care where RPAs are converted into community housing managed by homecare companies.

“In this vision, solidarity takes precedence over profit, local services are easily accessible and residents become much more than simple tenants: they become active members of a real community rooted in mutual aid and collective life,” the AQRP said.