Key takeaways:
- Costs for rental units have almost doubled in some areas.
- Many cities in Quebec have vacancy rates of about 0 percent, making it very challenging for people to find a place to stay.
Granby citizen Marilène Bédard has looked “everywhere” to discover an apartment for herself and her two teenage kids: Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, rental locations, word of mouth, and even newspaper ads.
But so far, the only open unit she has seen is not ready till December, and she hasn’t been able to book a lease for it yet.
Bédard split from her spouse a little more than a month ago, pushing her to find a new place to stay. But the timing of the separation has made her search more complex because it happened so close to Moving Day, she said.
“There aren’t any teams available — at all. One shows up on Marketplace, and the minute you attempt to speak with the [landlord], you’re told it’s already rented,” she said.
Also read: Juno-nominated comedian Nick Nemeroff passed away at 32
Until she sees a new place, Bédard and her ex are taking turns staying at their former house and caring for their 13- and 14-year-old. In the weeks when he gets home, Bédard lives with her parents.
Bédard’s challenge to find accommodation is shared by multiple people in Quebec’s areas, only hours ahead of Moving Day.
In Trois-Rivières, several 23 families are still looking for a place to live. According to the city’s municipal housing office, they will probably require to live in temporary accommodations set up by the Red Cross. In Rimouski, where the average vacancy rate is 0.2 percent, the municipal housing office works to find permanent accommodation for some 25 individuals still on the waiting list.
Daniel Bélanger, who works for the housing post, said many of these people stay with friends or relatives because there is nothing open on the market.
Source – cbc.ca
