600 families homeless in Quebec

More than 600 Quebec families are still looking for a new home after July 1, as this year’s housing crisis deepens outside major cities.

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In Drummondville alone, a municipality of 80,000 residents, 135 households have yet to find housing, the most of all municipalities combined.

“I think it’s an example of this housing crisis and it’s currently being experienced in areas outside of Montreal,” said Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson for the Popular Action Front in Urban Redevelopment (FRAPRU), the organization behind the compilation.

In Sherbrooke and Gatineau, the vacancy rate is close to 1%, with 50 and 40 homes, respectively, yet to be found.

Further east, in Rimouski, a dozen houses were without leases as of yesterday.

Although the situation has deteriorated in the regions, the situation in the main centers has not improved. Montreal listed 118 homes without new leases yesterday and Quebec 55.

According to FRAPRU, these figures are only the tip of the iceberg, as Quebecers are the only ones with support services from their municipality.

“These people are mostly with relatives, in temporary situations and on plan B,” says Véronique Laflamme.

Of the 600 families looking for a home, around 60 had to seek emergency assistance from their municipality to avoid being on the street.

Situation in the province

Drummondville: 135

Montreal: 118

Quebec: 55

Sherbrooke: 50

Gatineau: 40

Three Rivers: 24

Cowansville: 23

Granby: 20

Laval: 15

Saguenay: 13

Rimouski: 10

Joliet: 10