Press review of early March

In our early March press review, we look at Québec solidaire’s bill to prevent landlords from banning pets in rental units, the end of the AccèsLogis program, and Desjardins’ comments on the housing crisis.

By Corinne Laberge

CORPIQ opposes Québec solidaire’s bill to allow pets in rental housing

This Radio-Canada article introduces us to the issue at hand: “Québec solidaire wants the province to follow in the footsteps of France and Ontario by introducing an article in the Civil Code that would prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to a person who has one or more pets.”

“Several studies have shown that pets have a positive impact on people’s mental health,” said Manon Massé, co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire. “For many Quebecers, having a pet is key to their well-being and even to their overall health.” Sophie Gaillard, Acting Executive Director of the Montreal SPCA, said that “the pet ban is the reason why a very large number of animals are abandoned.”

The article notes that CORPIQ expressed surprise that Québec solidaire would make such an announcement in the midst of a housing shortage. “Marc-André Plante, spokesperson for CORPIQ, deplored the fact that Québec solidaire is prioritizing the legislative issue of pets over the glaring lack of housing units needed to accommodate all the people who want a roof over their heads.”

Noting that 65% of landlords currently allow pets, with some restrictions, Mr. Plante said that he fears the negative impact such a bill could have. “Québec solidaire wants to impose the right to have a pet in Quebec’s 1.5 million dwellings, without regard to providing an ideal environment for pets or for tenants.”

Another article, published by Le Devoir, says: “Specifically, Québec solidaire proposes to amend article 1900 of the Civil Code of Québec to stipulate that landlords cannot include a no-pet clause in their leases.”

However, the proposal does not consider the fact that having pets can disturb neighbours living in less soundproofed units. Mr. Plante noted that “if adopted, such a law would also increase the burden on landlords, who would have to go to the Tribunal administratif du logement if pets damaged the units. It won’t hold up. Landlords will fight it tooth and nail.”

The Montreal Gazette also covered the issue, reporting that Mr. Plante said that “CORPIQ is against imposing systematically the right of animals in homes because there are landlords who are inconvenienced by animals, and they also have rights.”

Quebec ends the AccèsLogis program, and Desjardins speaks out on the housing crisis

In an interview with La Presse, France-Élaine Duranceau, Minister Responsible for Housing, confirmed that her government “will scrap the AccèsLogis program created in 1997.” La Presse says: “Her findings are clear: There is an affordable housing ‘crisis’ in Quebec, projects are not getting off the ground fast enough, and the ways of doing things that have been in place for decades are no longer viable. Her government intends to monitor the progress of publicly funded housing projects ‘much more closely’.”

Major changes are on the horizon, including the end of AccèsLogis, “the main funder of social housing in Quebec for a quarter of a century.” Minister Duranceau said that the program “is far from having fulfilled all of its promises […] It’s a bit of a free-for-all, where everyone submits [their project], and it takes as long as it takes, and costs as much as it costs.” She deplored the fact that “hundreds of millions” are currently “frozen without anything moving on the ground.”

She said that “Quebec intends to finance a large part of the 6,652 units still in the planning stage under AccèsLogis.” The Programme d’habitation abordable Québec (PHAQ), launched last year, will then take over. Minister Duranceau explained, “This program was designed to correct the shortcomings of the other one, which means that if your project is not ready to go within 12 months, we will withdraw the funds and give them to someone else who is ready to go.”

A second article in La Presse reports on criticism from municipalities and opposition parties. “Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater,” said Daniel Côté, President of the Union des municipalités du Québec and Mayor of Gaspé. “AccèsLogis suffered from acute proceduralitis, but its substance was good, and it still is. We didn’t understand that it was being thrown away and replaced by the PHAQ. We wanted to streamline things—social housing, but with less bureaucracy.”

For Québec solidaire MNA Andrés Fontecilla, “This is the definitive abandonment of social housing in Quebec.” Liberal MNA Virginie Dufour agrees: “Affordable housing is becoming less affordable. Rents rise with the market. [...] But this is not the case with social housing, where the rent is based on an individual’s income. We need affordable housing as well as social housing. Necessary improvements could have been made to AccèsLogis.”

We conclude with an overview of this article by André Dubuc. The introduction reads: “Desjardins Group warns that the housing crisis—which manifests itself in unaffordable homes, a housing shortage, and out-of-control rents—will worsen in 2023.”

In the rental market, “the vacancy rate, currently at 1.7% across Quebec, will fall to nearly 1% in 2023.” In addition, rental housing construction was down 10% in 2022 compared to 2021 and will fall another 20% this year compared to last. “Rental housing construction will continue to slow rather than accelerate unless there is a massive injection of public funds, a relaxation of regulations, or increased support for municipalities,” said Hélène Bégin, Senior Economist at Desjardins Group.

 

As a result, rents will continue to rise. “After an average increase of 8.9% last year, the increase should reach 10% in 2023,” Ms. Bégin noted, adding that we will have to wait until next year for good news.

 

This Radio-Canada article introduces us to the issue at hand: “Québec solidaire wants the province to follow in the footsteps of France and Ontario by introducing an article in the Civil Code that would prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to a person who has one or more pets.”

“Several studies have shown that pets have a positive impact on people’s mental health,” said Manon Massé, co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire. “For many Quebecers, having a pet is key to their well-being and even to their overall health.” Sophie Gaillard, Acting Executive Director of the Montreal SPCA[SG1] , said that “the pet ban is the reason why a very large number of animals are abandoned.”

The article notes that CORPIQ expressed surprise that Québec solidaire would make such an announcement in the midst of a housing shortage. “Marc-André Plante, spokesperson for CORPIQ, deplored the fact that Québec solidaire is prioritizing the legislative issue of pets over the glaring lack of housing units needed to accommodate all the people who want a roof over their heads.”

Noting that 65% of landlords currently allow pets, with some restrictions, Mr. Plante said that he fears the negative impact such a bill could have. “Québec solidaire wants to impose the right to have a pet in Quebec’s 1.5 million dwellings, without regard to providing an ideal environment for pets or for tenants.”

Another article, published by Le Devoir, says: “Specifically, Québec solidaire proposes to amend article 1900 of the Civil Code of Québec to stipulate that landlords cannot include a no-pet clause in their leases.”

However, the proposal does not consider the fact that having pets can disturb neighbours living in less soundproofed units. Mr. Plante noted that “if adopted, such a law would also increase the burden on landlords, who would have to go to the Tribunal administratif du logement if pets damaged the units. It won’t hold up. Landlords will fight it tooth and nail.”

The Montreal Gazette also covered the issue, reporting that Mr. Plante said that “CORPIQ is against imposing systematically the right of animals in homes because there are landlords who are inconvenienced by animals, and they also have rights.”

Quebec ends the AccèsLogis program, and Desjardins speaks out on the housing crisis

In an interview with La Presse, France-Élaine Duranceau, Minister Responsible for Housing, confirmed that her government “will scrap the AccèsLogis program created in 1997.” La Presse says: “Her findings are clear: There is an affordable housing ‘crisis’ in Quebec, projects are not getting off the ground fast enough, and the ways of doing things that have been in place for decades are no longer viable. Her government intends to monitor the progress of publicly funded housing projects ‘much more closely’.”

Major changes are on the horizon, including the end of AccèsLogis, “the main funder of social housing in Quebec for a quarter of a century.” Minister Duranceau said that the program “is far from having fulfilled all of its promises […] It’s a bit of a free-for-all, where everyone submits [their project], and it takes as long as it takes, and costs as much as it costs.” She deplored the fact that “hundreds of millions” are currently “frozen without anything moving on the ground.”

She said that “Quebec intends to finance a large part of the 6,652 units still in the planning stage under AccèsLogis.” The Programme d’habitation abordable Québec (PHAQ), launched last year, will then take over. Minister Duranceau explained, “This program was designed to correct the shortcomings of the other one, which means that if your project is not ready to go within 12 months, we will withdraw the funds and give them to someone else who is ready to go.”

A second article in La Presse reports on criticism from municipalities and opposition parties. “Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater,” said Daniel Côté, President of the Union des municipalités du Québec and Mayor of Gaspé. “AccèsLogis suffered from acute proceduralitis, but its substance was good, and it still is. We didn’t understand that it was being thrown away and replaced by the PHAQ. We wanted to streamline things—social housing, but with less bureaucracy.”

For Québec solidaire MNA Andrés Fontecilla, “This is the definitive abandonment of social housing in Quebec.” Liberal MNA Virginie Dufour agrees: “Affordable housing is becoming less affordable. Rents rise with the market. [...] But this is not the case with social housing, where the rent is based on an individual’s income. We need affordable housing as well as social housing. Necessary improvements could have been made to AccèsLogis.”

We conclude with an overview of this article by André Dubuc. The introduction reads: “Desjardins Group warns that the housing crisis—which manifests itself in unaffordable homes, a housing shortage, and out-of-control rents—will worsen in 2023.”

In the rental market, “the vacancy rate, currently at 1.7% across Quebec, will fall to nearly 1% in 2023.” In addition, rental housing construction was down 10% in 2022 compared to 2021 and will fall another 20% this year compared to last. “Rental housing construction will continue to slow rather than accelerate unless there is a massive injection of public funds, a relaxation of regulations, or increased support for municipalities,” said Hélène Bégin, Senior Economist at Desjardins Group.

As a result, rents will continue to rise. “After an average increase of 8.9% last year, the increase should reach 10% in 2023,” Ms. Bégin noted, adding that we will have to wait until next year for good news.