Ten years after the tragedy of L'Isle-Verte, approximately a quarter of residences for the elderly (RPA) are still struggling to comply with the obligation to install sprinklers, while hundreds have had to close their doors because, in many cases, they cannot afford such an investment.
The January 23, 2014 fire at the Residence du Havre that claimed the lives of 32 elderly people shocked the entire province. Coroner Cyril Delague's inquiry, which concluded with the submission of a major report in January 2015, led the government to adopt regulations to install sprinklers in all RPAs with few exceptions in dwellings of less than 10 people, among other things.
Small residences were damaged
As of Dec. 31, 353 of the 1,413 RPAs in Quebec had not yet installed sprinklers, according to data provided to The Canadian Press by Sonia Bélanger, the minister responsible for seniors' office. However, 184 of them have fewer than ten units and may qualify for an exemption if they comply with other fire safety requirements.
However, it should be noted that these 353 dwellings represent only 4.5% of the existing RPA units. In other words, it is the smaller, existing dwellings that are most susceptible to inconvenience. Large senior housing complexes with very strong financial capacity and all residences built in recent years incorporate the cost of sprinkler systems into the overall construction cost.
The 169 residences that cannot benefit from the exemptions “can no longer be in compliance by December 2, 2024, and therefore no longer have the right to be in operation,” explains Hans Brouillet, director of public affairs for the group Québécois des Résidences four seniors ( RQRA ). Seems too fast. »
Coroner Delage had recommended a five-year time limit for residences to comply. This deadline was eventually extended to December 2, 2024. Four successive versions of the aid scheme were issued to cover these investments.
Clearly an underrated help
However, the aid provided severely underestimates the actual cost of the required investment, and in RPA cases above 30 units, does not give 100% of the already adequate estimate.
Mr. So the owner is entitled to the full subsidy amounting to $7,000 or $140,000 per unit. However, the estimate for its installation is $300,000. In the regions, he notes, other costs are added. “The entrepreneur will cover travel, accommodation and food expenses. In other cases, it is necessary to connect to the municipal water system. We have seen bids for $100,000, but the grant for such a connection is only $40,000. Where will he find the missing $60,000? »
Inflation, interest rates and labor costs have been added to in recent years. In addition, insurance premiums have not only seen a significant increase, but also increased premiums by installing sprinklers due to the risk of leaks in pipes and water damage to walls and ceilings.
Broken business models
“This regulation, more than anything else, has caused costs to skyrocket. This is what causes the most pain and this is the death knell for many residences,” he says.
“These are amounts that arise suddenly and completely disrupt your business model and your ability to finance this work. So closures become inevitable, and certainly most closures are due to this move. »
He asserts that in any industry or service, security has a price, and when regulations are tightened, the costs are shifted to the consumer, user or customer. “For RPAs, this is not possible for two main reasons: firstly rent control – rent increases are controlled, unlike other sectors where there is no price control – and, secondly, because of the seniors' ability to pay. So, yes, we can increase their security, but this is imposed on us through regulation. Where will the income go to pay for increased protection? »
The weight of this regulation is disproportionately heavier in smaller dwellings, explains Hans Broulet. “In a small number of units costs must be reduced, and therefore rental income. It is obvious that this was a big challenge for small apartments. »
Plus, owners can't turn to financial institutions, he explains. “The bank doesn't want to finance you because your business model doesn't generate enough cash flow to make repayments. »
“We like to say that lives are precious, but…”
According to the RQRA, Quebec should have assumed full financing of these installations from the start.
“This is the solution. It's too late now. A thousand nursing homes have closed in the last ten years, not all because of sprinklers, but it's significant.
“Government must and must pay in full. Government is taxpayers' money. Do we collectively want to increase safety in residences? We all agree that lives are precious. We like to say lives have no price, but when it comes time to measure ability to pay, they still have a price,” he said. laments Mr. Broulet.
“Can we afford this cost? Maybe yes, if we make the right choices and prioritize the right way. Overall, we should have asked these questions ourselves at that time and answered them with 100% subsidy,” he concludes.
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