Montreal and Quebec City rank last in North America for housing availability: study

A 'for rent' sign is photographed in front of a multiplex in Montreal on Thursday, June 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

With two days to go before Quebec’s Moving Day on July 1, more than 3,100 households in the province are still searching for housing.

Of those, more than 2,100 are receiving active assistance, according to the latest data from the Quebec Housing Society—figures that represent a sharp increase compared to the same date last year.

Meantime, the Greater Montreal Observatory published an economic report on Monday morning showing that Greater Montreal ranks 42nd out of the 43 major metropolitan areas in North America in terms of housing availability. The 43rd spot is held by the Quebec City metropolitan area.

The Observatory noted that the housing vacancy rate in Montreal stood at 2.9 per cent in 2025 and has since risen to around 3.1 per cent — theoretically the equilibrium threshold. But the vacant units are ones that average households simply cannot afford.

The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Greater Montreal has reached $1,920 per month, according to the Observatory’s report.

These figures, which illustrate the severity of the housing crisis, were released just as Premier Christine Fréchette was announcing a project for 45 so-called affordable housing units that will be ready in 2028 in Saint-Lazare, in the Montérégie region.

At the same time, Québec solidaire presented four new proposals grouped under the name “anti-speculation shield”—measures that would make life difficult for real estate speculators while adding a layer of protection for tenants who fall victim to them.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 29, 2026.

- by Pierre Saint-Arnaud