With the Quebec housing crisis leading to rent hikes and climbing occupancy rates, hundreds of housing advocates called for change during a Saturday protest, hauling furniture with them to underscore their message.
Gathering before Premier Francois Legault’s Montreal office downtown, demonstrators made their demand known: more social housing.
Mattresses and furnishings were left on the site, symbolizing the eviction process.
Housing activism group FRAPRU, which organized the protest, said too much demand and too little supply have made affording a place to live impossible for many.
“FRAPRU and its member groups are concerned about the seriousness and depth of the housing crisis facing tenants in the city and fear that it will get even worse given the lack of structural measures adopted so far by the Legault government,” reads a press release from the organization.
Earlier this month, Quebec announced the creation of a new $200 million affordable housing program to construct 2,000 units within a year.
The group worries this new operation will take away from the already-existing social housing development program AccèsLogis, which specifically targets low-income groups, and fears the promised affordability of housing in the new program won’t be sustainable over time.
“[FRAPRU] urges the premier to confirm without delay the maintenance of AccèsLogis for future projects and to reinvest the sums necessary not only to deliver those already designed, but also to produce others, according to the needs of the different communities,” reads another release.
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV's Andrew Brennan.
Housing advocates demand more social housing in Quebec - CTV News Montreal
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