Canadian housing advocates come together in Montreal to discuss solutions to crisis

Amid the ongoing housing crisis, a unified housing justice movement is working to find solutions to the issue, as a federal election is on the horizon.

At a press conference in Montreal on Friday, participants of the Housing Justice Convergence (HJC) kicked off the weekend gathering, which features tenant organizers on the frontlines and policy advocates from Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.

They say their voices have largely been missing from the conversation.

“Coming here to get to today or coming here this weekend will be a way at least to not be sent alone and to be part of something bigger,” said Catherine Lussier, FRAPRU coordinator.

“We’re not receiving the answers,” she added. “We don’t consider that the Quebec government is taking seriously the housing crisis and specifically not seriously how tenants are actually specific low income and modest income tenants are actually impacted by this crisis.”

Held at Montreal’s Concordia University, the two-day event features speakers from across the country – all hoping to flip the switch on policy and finding housing solutions. 

Bruno Dobrusin, representing York South-Weston Tenant Union in Toronto, suggested a nationwide rent freeze and a temporary ban on evictions.

“I think a lot of these solutions sometimes we think about these very complex mathematics but they’re not that complicated and they’ve been done before,” he explained.

“I think the goal here in this convergence is to try to agree on those common actions.”

Quebec’s housing tribunal recommended a 5.9 per cent rent increase earlier this year – the highest rent increase recommendation in three decades.

Participants said many tenants across the country have resorted to homelessness.

“They’ve seen the difference where they’re not alone fighting against a landlord or fighting against a system,” said Lussier. “The idea is to be together to be able to fight against that system and we’ve seen results in different neighbourhoods in Montreal.”

Political economist and senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Ricardo Trajan, alleges governments have a strong alliance with the development industry and are unwilling to confront landlords, which would have a negative impact on profits. 

“Housing is not going to be affordable while it is also the best investment in town,” he said. “We just cannot square that circle.”

“We cannot have housing being the best investment in town, one of the most profitable activities for anyone to engage and to be affordable to low and moderate income households.”

Advocates say it’s important for tenants to reach out for help.

“There are tenants’ associations, housing committees that are there in most of the neighbourhood in Montreal,” explained Lussier. “That are actually present for supporting tenants, to mobilize tenants and to find solutions together.”