Many in Montreal scrambling to find housing as moving day approaches

With less than a week before July 1 moving day, many Montrealers still cannot find a place to move into.

Community groups in the city are speaking out, saying things are getting worse and it will take more investments before it gets any better.

Resilience Montreal says its clientele has doubled over the past four years, and it expects even more people to walk through its doors on or after July 1 with no place to live.

"Half of the time, most of them just end up on the streets, and it's sad to say some of them end up just dying," said Resilience community organizer Maggie Chittspattio.

Groups say the effects of the housing crisis are extremely visible around moving day.

Indigenous people, they say, along with single-parent families and seniors, have some of the most difficulty accessing housing in the metropolis.

"There have been a lot of people, especially the elderly people, couple or male, that have been kicked out of their apartments due to the increase of the rent," said Chittspattio

Housing advocate Stephanie Barahona believes the government needs to invest in social housing and double the amount of units available.

"The housing crisis is not just about supply, but also of affordability," she said.

Ahead of July 1, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said 250 households are asking the city's housing department for help, which is double the number from 2023.

That number includes seniors.

"To me, this is this is a big failure not only for Montreal, but for our society," said Plante.

Plante said she would not take the blame for social housing since Quebec's role is to finance it.

She said, however, that it's time to do more together.

"There can be social housing if the government puts the money [in]," said Plante.

Community groups are also asking for more money from the municipal government. The funding for these groups stayed the same in the last budget, and advocates say it's not enough.

"We're always struggling to find the help and the funds we need, and it's almost like begging," said Chittspattio.