Housing advocates frustrated over subsidized apartment backlog in Quebec

A key electoral issue that returns during every election cycle is the construction of subsidized housing for low-income families who can't afford apartments at market prices.

Despite repeated promises of more investment, the backlog for social housing in Quebec is only getting longer.

At the same time, in Montreal, the original plans for a 78-apartment housing project is still not off the ground four years after being launched.

Governments in Ottawa and Montreal confirmed their investment, but the provincial government has not.

"The land is there, the plans, all the studies needed; the only thing we're missing is money," said Habitations Communautaires Loggia Director Catherine Boucher.

The CAQ government said it would finance the construction of nearly 1,200 subsidized apartments if re-elected on Oct. 3, but critics of the government say François Legault's party hasn't even delivered on a promise of 15,000 units in 2018, and there's a backlog which includes the Montreal project.

Opposition parties are quick to point out the backlog.

"It makes no sense that this project that is ready to go is still on hold because the government didn't finance the project," said Quebec solidaire candidate for Rosemont, Vincent Marissal.

Social housing includes subsidies, so tenants only pay 25 per cent of their income on rent.

Advocates have been consistently vocal about the need to help those who cannot afford to pay their rent.

A new Statistics Canada report on housing says Quebec's unaffordable housing rate - where households spend 30 per cent or more of their income on shelter costs - is 16.1 per cent.

In 2022, that number will likely rise due to the inflated costs of living.