Housing strategy: tools for collaboration and vague targets for housing construction

CORPIQ applauds the efforts made to mobilize public players and improve communications in the residential rental sector, as part of the housing strategy presented by Minister France-Élaine Duranceau. However, the association representing Quebec's rental building owners deplores the lack of ambition and precision regarding construction objectives, as well as the absence of incentives for the private sector, which plays a major role in the housing ecosystem.

(Photo: La Presse Canadienne/ Jacques Boissinot. Quebec Housing minister, France-Élaine Duranceau)

A welcome communications campaign to improve the atmosphere in the residential rental sector

CORPIQ warmly welcomes the launch of a communications campaign aimed at “informing citizens of their rights, recourses and obligations in housing matters”, which will certainly help to improve relations between tenants and landlords.

“Over the past few years, the housing crisis and numerous legislative and regulatory changes have created delicate and difficult situations for tenants and landlords. CORPIQ believes that by having access to clear, neutral, quality information, the parties should be able to come to an agreement more easily and find solutions more quickly”, mentioned CORPIQ President Éric Sansoucy.

 

Mobilization efforts well received

We welcome efforts to improve coordination between the various ministries and organizations involved in this strategy, to provide better access to affordable, safe, quality housing for all citizens. The strategy calls for a new governance structure, including the creation of a committee of housing professionals in which CORPIQ would like to participate.

 

Construction targets to be fine-tuned and a lack of tools to support the private sector

While the government wishes to accelerate the construction of new units, objectives should be more specific by region and housing type. What's more, given that Quebec's private rental housing stock comprises some 1.2 million units and houses 80% of the province's renter households, it's unthinkable to solve the housing crisis without relying on the private sector. In this sense, we hope that incentives to protect the existing rental stock will follow in the coming months.

“CORPIQ believes that we need to increase the supply of housing, whether social, affordable, financed by housing assistance programs or outright private. However, all these segments have similar maintenance needs and face the same cost increases, yet the strategy remains silent to this effect,” added Mr. Sansoucy.