Jimmy Viera
agentofficiel@pvq.qc.ca
For several years now, numerous media and housing rights organizations have been sharing a large volume of information highlighting the seriousness of the housing crisis across Quebec. In 2020, rents rose by 3.7 % (CMHC) across Quebec, and the rental vacancy rate rose to 2.5%. Cities such as Gatineau and Rouyn-Noranda are reaching vacancy rates of 1.2%, while the break-even point set by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is 3%.
During our live chat on the Parti Vert du Québec Facebook page on March 31 with Guy Labonté, representative of the Comité Logement Rimouski-Neigette, and Alain Roy, representative of the Association des locataires de Sherbrooke, one of the issues at the root of the crisis gradually came to light: the "commodification" of housing. By "commodification" we mean the conception of housing as an investment, a commodity intended above all to offer profits to property owners.
This logic challenges the essential nature of the right to housing for every citizen, and opens the door to various trends that weaken this right on a provincial scale.
A case in point is the phenomenon of "renovations", where tenants are released under the pretext of renovations, then rents are increased considerably in order to rent the space at a higher price, or the space is sold to real estate developers for the construction of more luxurious and expensive units. In addition to driving up rents and making rental units scarce on the market, this practice weakens the already precarious position of tenants. This capitalist logic facilitates gentrification and the transformation of neighborhoods by crushing the vulnerable, in order to guarantee financial gains.
In Quebec, the average rent for 2-bedroom apartments rose by 6% in 2020! The Quebec government must implement clear legislation to protect tenants' rights, and prevent evictions and abusive rent increases. The Green Party of Quebec defends everyone's right to housing without paying more than 20% of their income, and is campaigning for the introduction of a national housing policy to control the excesses of Quebec's housing industry (see PVQ program-link to website). It is irresponsible to openly deny the existence of a crisis that affects the daily lives of a large part of the population. The Quebec government must work to ensure that citizens are protected and their rights respected within the rental market.
With this in mind, the Partit Vert du Québec is putting forward a number of recommendations to address this extremely important issue. First and foremost, we propose the introduction of a national housing policy to control the harmful practices of the private housing industry. In addition, we plan to build 50,000 social housing units in Quebec to alleviate the housing shortage and ensure that these units meet the needs of the most vulnerable tenants. We also propose to increase the budgets allocated to renovating housing to adapt it to people with disabilities. Let's not forget to mention that we also support the construction of affordable housing and ensuring people's right to be housed without paying more than 20% of their salary on housing. Finally, we also plan to renovate existing housing.