More than 270 Montreal households on hunt for new home just hours ahead of moving day
Moving day traditionally brings chaos to Montreal's streets, but those on the front lines of the housing crunch say hundreds of renters are still searching for a new place to call home just hours ahead of July 1.
'Right now, we have more than 270 households supported by our services,' Isabelle Girard-Fortier, director of rental services at the Office municipal d'habitation de Montréal, said in an interview Monday afternoon with The Gazette.
'So, these are households that are still looking for accommodations, but there are also some of these households that are already temporarily staying with us.'
The OMHM has rooms blocked off at partnering hotels for those who find themselves without an apartment. But she pointed out those are only temporary and maybe not the most comfortable option for some, such as large families. The municipal housing office can also help shelter people's belongings.
Quebec's yearly mass migration takes place on July 1 as that is when the majority of leases begin, but that means many residents are stuck looking for a new apartment at the same time. FRAPRU, a housing advocacy group, noted that 2025 has been 'an extremely difficult year' so far.
Tenants are facing 'virtually historic rent increases,' said FRAPRU spokesperson Véronique Laflamme. She cited a recent study from Statistics Canada that found Montreal's rental prices have jumped by 71 per cent since 2019.
'We feel like we haven't seen everything yet with these rent increases' taking effect Tuesday, she said.
'We're really worried that even more tenants will no longer be able to make ends meet and that even more will become impoverished, even though we've already heard year after year from food banks that housing affordability is preventing people from eating properly.'
The rising costs are particularly hard on low-income households, particularly seniors, she added.
'The housing search period was very tough because tenants, basically realizing that it would be difficult to absorb the new rent increase, were looking for solutions and realizing that the available rental units were far too expensive,' Laflamme said.
Montrealers of all stripes have asked for help when it comes to finding a new apartment, according to the OMHM. The level of demand is around the same as it was in 2024.
'It really varies,' Girard-Fortier said of those who require assistance. 'Last year, we had a lot of single women versus single men. Then, for a few years now, it's increasingly families with children, too.'
The office assists renters all over the city, but Girard-Fortier said the Villeray—St-Michel—Parc-Extension, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Montreal North areas are among some of the hot spots this year.
Along with other organizations, both the OMHM and FRAPRU will be open on moving day, as well as in the coming days. Their teams will be available to help anyone who needs it.
The City of Montreal says anyone who still hasn't found a new home in time should call 311 for assistance.
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- Montreal Gazette
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Montreal Gazette
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