After July 1 | More than 70 households still live in emergency housing in Quebec
A little over a week after the unofficial moving day in Quebec, 71 households are still in emergency housing in Montreal, a little more than double last year, when 40 households were in this situation.
Most of these households found themselves without housing as the 1st approached.is July, when many leases expire in the province. They are housed in rooms supported by the city, notably in hotels or accommodation belonging to community organizations.
Rouzier Métellus, director of community and social development at the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM), deplores the fact of having 71 households in emergency accommodation, recalling that these are often people who can no longer be helped by their network.
This increase occurs in a context where the cost of housing is rising in Montreal, where affordability continues to deteriorate despite an improvement nationally. According to a recent study by RBC Economics, Montreal is an exceptional case in terms of housing, with the lowest affordability index since 1990, according to the bank.
For Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson for a non-profit association defending the right to housing, the increased use of emergency housing is not in itself bad news.
According to her, it is positive that more tenants are accommodated in these accommodations rather than being left to fend for themselves and then risk falling into homelessness.
However, she underlines the need to offer more permanent affordable solutions to tenants, in particular social housing.
Municipal emergency accommodation remains free for two months, after which payment is determined on a case-by-case basis, says Mr. Métellus.
The OMHM supports these households in their search for permanent housing. This emergency measure is designed as a temporary solution, according to Mr. Métellus, who specifies that there are no official limits on the length of stay.
However, he adds that the city’s housing agency strives to ensure that people find permanent housing within a few months at the latest.
The total number of households actively monitored by the housing organization has decreased compared to last year, from 296 to 208. However, this figure only takes into account people who have made contact with the organization or its partner organisations.
Across Quebec, 1,724 households occupy temporary housing or benefit from active assistance from the provincial housing agency to support them in their search for housing. Of these, 401 live in temporary accommodation.
Housing prices in Montreal break Canadian records
According to Jayne Malenfant, a faculty member at McGill University, the number of people experiencing homelessness after 1is July reflects a broader problem related to housing in Montreal and Quebec.
Jayne Malenfant maintains that we must continue to be concerned about the question of housing even after the 1is July, as more and more people face unaffordable rent or are evicted.
According to this person, the housing crisis partly explains why certain protections for tenants’ rights have been removed or weakened in recent years. These protections historically contributed to Montreal remaining less expensive than Toronto and Vancouver, a trend which has begun to reverse, specifies Jayne Malenfant.
In a study published at the end of June, RBC Economics found that Montreal condos were less affordable than those in Toronto at the start of 2026, a first in 16 years. Toronto remains one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country, but falling condo prices combined with rising wages in that city have made housing more affordable than Montreal.
According to Mr. Métellus, rising costs have repercussions on the services offered by the Montreal Housing Office.
Jayne Malenfant presents two factors which could be at the origin of this increase. Firstly, the real estate market is increasingly focused on investment rather than providing homes for people, meaning that even vacant homes can generate resale profits for owners. Second, residents often oppose the construction of public housing in their neighborhoods due to moral judgments and stigma associated with poverty.
Mme Laflamme points out that the price of most vacant housing in the city is higher than what struggling tenants can afford, meaning that just because a unit is empty does not mean it represents a solution to those who find themselves without a place to live after moving.
