Couple wins right to stay in Verdun apartment despite building being converted to supervised housing

A couple is breathing a sigh of relief after winning the right to stay in their Verdun apartment.

This comes despite the fact that their building is being turned into supervised housing for patients from the Douglas Hospital

Dean Packham and Linda Lee might've been strangers when they moved into their residential building almost 50 years ago but since then, they fell in love and raised a son together.

It all happened in their 5 1/2 on Beurling Street.

In October 2023, the couple received an eviction notice. Their new landlord, a private company, cited the supervised housing place for patients at the Douglas Hospital.

It's part of a collaboration between the business, the Douglas and the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'île-de-Montréal.

"We are in a system that even when it is used by social services themselves we are in a system that is clearly lacking for protecting tenants rights," said Cédric Dussault, a tenants' rights advocate.

A local housing advocacy group reached out to tenants to offer their help and knowledge.

"These are very vulnerable people who were living in this building. These were elderly people, newcomers, people on welfare living in that building," said Kay Lockyer, Comité d'action des citoyen.nes de Verdun.

With support from the group, Packham and Lee brought their case to the housing tribunal and won.

They cited a law that prohibits the eviction of tenants over the age of 70 and those who have occupied a dwelling for more than 10 years.

"Otherwise, we wouldn't have stood a chance. We didn't know what to do," said Packham.

As for other tenants, the regional health board says the private company offered its help to relocate them.

In a statement to CTV News, the CIUSSS says: "We are confident that all relocation procedures have been carried out in compliance with the law, in a respectful manner and with the well-being of the tenants in mind. No household is left homeless."

Meanwhile, some advocates say more resources have to be allocated to tenants.

"When you're speaking of elderly people, you have a lot of people who know their rights, but they don't necessarily have the time, the knowledge or the energy to fight back," Dussault said.

With their worries behind, Packham and Lee are turning a new leaf.

CTV News reached out to Ressources l'ascension, the business that now owns the Verdun buildings, but did not hear back before publication time.