“The lack of housing has been observed pretty much everywhere.”
The number of Quebec households without housing, without a lease or who are looking for somewhere to stay has continued to rise over the past two weeks.
While the number of families without housing has declined in some regions, there have been increases in the majority or regions, including in Montreal.
There were 1,667 households without housing as of July 4, following Quebec’s annual moving day, a figure that had increased to 1,944 on Friday, according to the province’s housing agency, the Société d’habitation du Québec.
Of those, 484 were being temporarily housed by municipalities, while another 317 were staying with friends or family.
About 10 per cent of the households in temporary housing were receiving assistance after a disaster, such as a fire, and not because of the housing crisis.
“Generally speaking, we’re seeing a slight increase in the number of households that are still being supported and we’re not surprised by that considering the lack of housing has been observed pretty much everywhere on the territory,” Sébastien Olivier, the director of communications at the SHQ said in an interview with La Presse Canadienne.
The SHQ was already aware of the majority of households that have been added to the total, he said, but they didn’t require active support initially because they had a “plan B” or planned to find housing, but were unable to.
As for the 1,460 households that have not been given temporary housing, “that doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t have housing now, but that they may not have housing in mid-August, or on Sept. 1. So we’re following them closely,” Olivier said.
Olivier said he’d like to see the number of people without secure housing decline starting in mid-September, but said that’s more of a hope than a forecast, because the housing market remains extremely tight.
Behind each number, Olivier said, are people who are often experiencing difficult situations.
He said the work being done to support people is improving each year and there is also a large network of people helping each other.
Number of households without housing, or who risk losing housing, by region as of July 19.
In brackets, the number on July 4, according to the Société d’habitation du Québec.
Bas-St-Laurent: 177 (171)
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean: 52 (52)
Capitale-Nationale: 191 (139)
Mauricie: 111 (103)
Estrie: 88 (83)
Montreal*: 302 (204)
Outaouais: 150 (136)
Abitibi-Témiscamingue: 45 (35)
Côte-Nord: 0 (0)
Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine: 10 (11)
Chaudière-Appalaches: 75 (68)
Laval: 122 (104)
Lanaudière: 230 (188)
Laurentides: 29 (35)
Montérégie: 317 (293)
Centre-du-Québec: 45 (45)
*The July 19 data for Montreal includes households that are receiving support after a disaster, who are not included in the July 4 data.