15 per cent of Montreal tenants have experienced an episode of homelessness: survey

A homeless camp is shown beneath an overpass in Montreal, Friday, April 14, 2023. The Quebec Superior Court has granted a temporary 10-day injunction to halt the dismantling and eviction of a homeless encampment located underneath a major Montreal highway. (Graham Hughes, The Canadian Press)

In 2024, approximately 15 per cent of Montreal tenants reported having experienced an episode of homelessness -- defined as having been without a fixed address for a certain period of time.

In 2023, the proportion was 10 per cent, according to a Léger survey, the results of which for Montreal were released on Wednesday by Vivre en ville and the City of Montreal.

It should be noted that the pollsters interviewed tenants, so these statistics exclude homeless people.

The survey also revealed that 18 per cent of tenants interviewed think they will be able to afford to become homeowners in the next five years, compared with 23 per cent in 2023.

Some aspects of the survey are more reassuring. For example, 85 per cent of tenants surveyed believe that their home is in fairly good or very good condition.

The survey was conducted among 5,551 tenants in Quebec, including 1,579 in Montreal, between May 8 and 31.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 10, 2024.