Hundreds of protesters gathered in the town of Verdun in Montreal to condemn the government’s inaction in the face of the housing crisis, which they say is spreading across the province.
Released at 2:43 p.m.
They are particularly calling for the establishment of a national rent register, a freeze on rent and the resignation of Housing Minister Andrée Laforest.
The organization responsible for the event, the Restructuring of Quebec Housing Committees and Tenant Associations (RCLALQ), is concerned about the spread of the housing crisis outside Montreal.
According to a recent report by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released in late February, many smaller municipalities in Quebec now have rental vacancy rates close to 0%, such as Cronby, Drummondville, Rouen-Noranda and Riviere. Du-Loop and Joliet. Note that CMHC does not publish data for cities with a population of less than 10,000.
Photo by Dominic Gravel, The Press
“The housing crisis is not just a Montreal crisis,” said RCLALQ spokeswoman Marjolaine Deneault. What really worries me is the situation in the regions, outside of Montreal and in the border districts, I am thinking of Montreal North which was not previously affected. ⁇
“We look at the regions, the intermediate cities, the tourist cities, we think of the Caspian, the Laurence, they are really affected by the events of the people who were displaced during the epidemics and caused homelessness there,” he continues.
Demonstrators must finish their march at Arthur-Therian Park.
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