Montreal organizations say the housing crisis is the leading cause of stress in psychiatric patients

The housing crisis is having a severe impact on tenants' mental health, say organizations calling on Premier François Legault to take action.

It has become the leading cause of stress for psychiatric patients in Quebec, according to the Regroupement des ressources alternatives en santé mentale au Québec (RRASMQ), which held a news conference in Montreal on Sunday along with the Regroupement des comités logement et associations de locataires du Québec (RCLALQ).

The two groups presented an open letter addressed directly to Legault, which will be published in the media on Tuesday.

More than 300 organizations specializing in housing and mental health are imploring Legault to take concrete action to resolve the housing crisis, which is causing so much distress.

"Unfortunately, with the current orientations of the current Quebec government, there is no glimmer of hope that this situation will improve," said RCLALQ spokesperson and co-coordinator Cédric Dussault.

He noted "a growing sense of despair among tenants who contact housing committees and tenants' associations."

According to him, the increase in mental health problems is a consequence of the housing crisis.

"We is speaking directly to the premier to remind him of his responsibility to Quebec's tenants. Tenants represent over 40 per cent of the population that the premier must serve," said Dussault.

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High rents, evictions and substandard housing can cause anxiety, depression, insomnia and even suicidal thoughts, say the RCLALQ and RRSAMQ.

The RRASMQ surveyed 35 resource organizations in the field to arrive at these conclusions.

RCLALQ co-coordinator Martin Blanchard pointed out that it is very difficult for tenants to get help from the housing tribunal when faced with eviction.

"Most of the phone calls tenants make to the Tribunal administratif du logement are hung up on before you can even speak to a human being. There's a robot that tells you 'all lines are busy' and then you hang up without even taking the time to leave a message," said Blanchard. "Imagine the situation when someone comes into your home and says 'you're leaving.' Imagine the strain that puts on people's mental health."

RRASMQ president Peter Belland is in the same situation. He has been threatened with eviction since 2018. The artist, who suffers from depression, has had to resort to food banks, while 80 per cent of his income goes towards paying his rent.

"This stress is weighing heavily on me. I can't get on with my work. My apartment is becoming a mess. My workshops are impractical," he said.

The self-employed worker, who lives in Cowansville, deplores the unaffordability of housing: "A landlord wants to put me out on the street because he'd like to be entitled to this money, which now seems normal."

If he moves out, he'll have to pay about five times more rent than he does now.

Concrete demands

The letter's signatories are calling for a moratorium on evictions for change of use, extensions and subdivisions, with the aim of reducing speculation.

They also want all repossessions and evictions to go through the housing tribunal, which could then ensure control and follow-up.

Finally, the organizations want a public rent register, a cap on rent increases and a government social housing program.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 5, 2024.