Housing advocates say affordability remains key barrier in Montreal

Housing advocates say affordability remains key barrier in Montreal

A higher vacancy rate in Montreal has done little to ease the housing crisis for some of the most vulnerable residents.

Along Notre-Dame Street, one of the city’s largest encampments continued to expand this summer, with 115 tents and approximately 135 people now living on the site.

According to the City of Montreal, 260 households were still searching for housing. Those figures do not include people who have already applied for housing assistance.

Higher vacancy rate

For housing advocates such as Catherine Lussier, coordinator of housing advocacy group FRAPRU, the situation highlights a disconnect between the number of available units and what people could actually afford.

“What is really available on the market is what is the most expensive,” said. “And what had been built in the last year is also what is the most expensive.”

Lussier said the number of Montreal households still without housing after July 1 was similar to last year’s total even though the vacancy rate had increased — having reached 3.1 per cent.

“There really is enough housing for everyone — but the offer is so expensive that people simply can’t pay those rents,” she said.

She argued that while Montreal has taken steps such as securing sites for social housing projects and allocating funding, the problem cannot be solved alone.

“[Montreal] needs the support of the federal and the provincial governments,” she explained. “So, we hope to see candidates take their engagement towards social housing seriously.”

‘We have no other choice’

At the Notre-Dame Street encampment, Alexie Poirier said she had been without an apartment since the beginning of the summer and had struggled to find any rental she could afford.

“It’s even 600 dollars just for a room — you can’t find anything below that price,” she said. “Then people wonder why there are so many people on the streets.”

Poirier said social assistance had failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living and that affordable accommodations had become increasingly difficult to find.

“We have no other choice but to be here,” she said. “Even people who were doing well before can’t make it anymore.”

Nearby, Gilles Bilodeau set up camp two months ago.

After working since the age of 14 and now approaching 59, Bilodeau said he hoped to eventually find some stability through social housing.

He is in the process of obtaining housing through Montreal’s public housing authority (OMHM) and hopes to secure a one-bedroom apartment for around $350 a month — about a third of what similar units would cost on the private market.

“Otherwise, I couldn’t afford it,” he said. “That’s more than what I receive in social assistance (and disability).”

Bilodeau also spoke about the stigma often faced by people living in encampments.

“Very often people have prejudices against the people here when they walk by,” he said. “They make jokes and say, ‘Housing isn’t expensive here.’”

Surviving the summer

Just steps away from the tents, an air-conditioned trailer operated by community organization L’Anonyme offers respite from the heat.

Urban safety program coordinator Alexandra Turcotte-Provost said the organization had seen increasing demand for its services, with more than 200 people visiting the trailer daily — compared to the approximate 50 who frequent the service in the winter months.

The biggest need during the summer months, she said, is access to water — not only for drinking, but also for showering and cooling down during extreme heat.

“It’s not a choice that they made,” she said. “They are forced to live in the streets.”

While warming centres are commonly available during winter, Turcotte-Provost said resources for the summer are often more limited.

“The summer can be just as bad, if not worse. Because people don’t have access to water — so they don’t drink enough water,” she said. “They can have heat strokes, and it can even lead to death.”

Among those relying on the trailer is Charles, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The former healthcare administrator said he has been without permanent housing since 2024 while battling a lung disease, HIV, and drug addiction.

After being renovicted from his apartment, he said his belongings were placed in storage.

“Then there was a major flood when a water main broke downtown, and I lost everything,” he explained.

Charles said organizations such as L’Anonyme had helped keep him alive. Despite the hardships he faced, he remained hopeful and encouraged others to show kindness.

“When I came to Montreal, I would judge people living on the streets,” he recounted. “But I learned not to judge because it could happen to anyone.”