Moving Day: Several hundred people are still homeless

Hundreds of people are still without homes as the 1st approaches^er July, however, is a lower number than reality.

• Also Read: Protesters occupy accommodation that has been turned into an Airbnb

• Also Read: “It hurts me a lot”: Their old house is for rent on Airbnb

• Also Read: She lives in her car and doubts the sincerity of her former owner

“We have to understand that there are many people who are not supported because they still have homes on July 1,” said Cédric Dassault, who represents housing committees and tenants' associations in Quebec, in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.

In Montreal alone, over a hundred people still don't have a roof over their heads. However, these figures are revised upwards once the moving period is over.

Emergency services to rescue

Like other cities in the province, Montreal has few emergency services to support homeless tenants.

“There are people who can be accommodated by emergency services in Montreal or in different cities in Quebec. There are people who stay in hotels and are accommodated by these services,” Mr. Dussault continued.

However, some people cannot be accompanied because they voluntarily leave their accommodation.

“It's very unfortunate because in the current context, there are very few people [du tout] They vacate their accommodation voluntarily for no very important reason, be it because they are living in grossly indecent and unsanitary conditions or because of harassment from their landlord,” he continued.

Mr. Dassault believes that these people should still be supported, because they are at risk of finding themselves on the street very soon.

“People, if they are homeless at 1^er July, it is not by choice,” he argued.

Furthermore, there is no general portrait of a tenant without housing at 1^er July

“It could be anyone. From the moment we are evicted from housing, we risk ending up on the street. In some areas, it's not even a question of income. There are people who have very high incomes, but in some areas the availability is almost zero,” he said.

Mr. According to Dassault, the influence of platforms like Airbnb is particularly to blame.

“In other cases, it could be people who have an income and a job, sometimes it's two full-time incomes, that can't find housing,” he said.

Many people find housing, but the rent is so high that they have to spend too much of their income.