Long before COVID-19, a crisis was already eating away at Quebec, the housing crisis. In fact, since 2019, the housing crisis has been getting worse and worse, especially in large cities. This housing shortage is mainly due to the increase in demand for rental housing while the percentage of available housing is low. In Quebec’s large urban centers, the vacancy rate is getting lower and lower, and many households are exposed to the risk of finding themselves on the street. We are undoubtedly heading towards a housing shortage.
Thus, more than 200 households across Quebec are still looking for housing and have still not been able to sign a lease for July 1 or August 1, 2020. Rising rents, low incomes, and sometimes discrimination, are making the most vulnerable households even more precarious and hindering their access to housing. Moreover, with the crisis of the COVID-19, the already precarious situation of many households has worsened due to the decrease in income and the crisis of the economic sector.
Access to housing is a fundamental right that should be enjoyed by all citizens, regardless of their income, social status, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, gender, and physical or mental condition. A government that cares about its citizens must protect their right to decent and affordable housing. The PVQ is outraged by the inaction of the Legault government in the face of the precariousness of citizens!
It is imperative that the government invest more in the construction of social housing, and review the criteria for access to emergency assistance for the homeless. Tenants should only have to cover their rent with 20% of their income, not 25%. It is time for the government to act in the interest of its citizens, by being more concerned about their realities and by putting in place concrete measures to support tenants in their search for housing.
Jeanne-Céline Ngalle-Miano
