Still haven't found an apartment with the big moving day approaching? Resources are available to support you, help you avoid being homeless, and assert your rights. Here are the main steps recommended by organizations working on the ground.
First step: call 311
According to those involved, the advice is unanimous: don't wait until the last minute. "Anyone who still hasn't found housing today should call 311 to access our services. The sooner we can assist households, the better," says the Director of Communications for theOffice municipal de l’habitat de Montréal (OMHM), Valérie Rhême, in a response sent to our editorial team.
The call directs individuals to the Housing Search Assistance Service, which can support households in their efforts and, when necessary, provide them with access to emergency measures.
The Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) makes the same recommendation. "In Montreal, we encourage people to contact 311 as soon as possible to be redirected to the right resources. If they don't receive help, they can then contact FRAPRU or their local housing committee," says Ms. Lussier.
Often overlooked assistance
Beyond temporary shelter, several measures remain little known.
The OMHM reminds that households can benefit from personalized support, assistance with storing their belongings, and moving assistance. This year, a new partnership also allows for the temporary boarding of pets for housed households, an obstacle that sometimes prevented some people from accepting an emergency solution.
The organization also provides the public with a search tool for available housing on the private market, accessible on its website.
Know your rights
Both organizations also emphasize the importance of consulting a housing committee before signing a document or vacating a dwelling following repossession or eviction. "Many tenants are unaware of housing committees," notes the OMHM, which recommends contacting them for information on tenant rights and possible recourses.
FRAPRU reminds us that many households face discrimination when searching for housing, particularly immigrants, racialized individuals, and low-income earners. In a highly competitive market, some also accept illegal demands, such as security deposits, for fear of losing the only available housing.
Emergency solutions... but not long-term ones
According to FRAPRU, the measures implemented by municipalities are essential to prevent households from falling into homelessness.
"These measures are necessary, but they're just a band-aid on a bigger problem," says Catherine Lussier. The organization advocates for more social housing, better rent control, and a mandatory rent registry to preserve long-term affordability.
In the meantime, aid workers are sending the same message to households still looking for housing: ask for help quickly rather than waiting until July 1st. Several resources exist, but they can intervene more effectively when contacted before the situation becomes an emergency.
Why do so many households still need help?
The reason organizations emphasize the importance of seeking help quickly is that the housing crisis continues to severely affect low-income households.
In Montreal, the vacancy rate has now reached 3.1%, but this improvement doesn't benefit everyone. "What we're seeing a lot on the ground is really the lack of affordability of what's available on the market. There are more units available, but it's mostly the most expensive ones that are being offered for rent," summarizes Catherine Lussier. Poor neighborhoods remain heavily affected by the crisis. In Saint-Michel, for example, 79% of households were renters in 2020, and more than a third spent a high proportion of their income on rent.
According to data provided to La Converse by the OMHM, 720 requests for assistance had been processed as of June 28th, compared to 796 during the same period last year. The organization was still assisting 226 households with their rehousing efforts, and 54 were already in temporary accommodation.
The OMHM estimates that 64 Montreal households will be without housing on July 1st. Ten others were to move into temporary accommodation between June 28th and moving day. However, the organization considers this situation to be relatively stable now, as needs are generally well-identified at this point in the year.
Across Quebec, the Société d'habitation du Québec had, a few days earlier, identified 3,186 households that had requested help finding housing, including 144 already temporarily housed.
Single individuals and single-parent families remain the most affected, according to FRAPRU and OMHM.
