The renovations that are taking place in Montreal's working-class neighborhoods touch on several complex issues. When the most marginalized tenants lack traditional remedies, what are the solutions that take into account their reality?
Here is what committed citizens and boroughs are offering to try to overcome these obstacles.
Art committed against renovations
Veronica Mockler, a committed artist, believes that art can be an effective way to combat renovations. In spring 2019, in collaboration with artist Sofia Blondin and eight tenants from Côte-des-Neiges, she presented THE ADDRESS, an artistic performance that highlighted the experiences of these tenants. Tenants who took part in the performance shared their experiences in housing in the neighborhood. With L'ADRESSE, the artists wanted to focus on Côte-des-Neiges. “It is a neighborhood that is seen as a springboard for newcomers starting their stay in Montreal,” explains Ms. Mockler.
A long creative process ensued for the artists who, at the request of specialized researchers, in particular Dr. Karoline Truchon from the Amplifier group, wanted to popularize the problem and educate citizens about the housing crisis in Côte-des-Neiges. Ms. Blondin and Ms. Mockler conducted over 30 interviews with people who live or work in this neighborhood.
They spoke with tenants, landlords, city officials, city officials, inspectors, community organizations, and activist groups. It was important for them to listen carefully to what people had to say “People don't necessarily know their rights. They need quick housing for their whole family. So, tenants take what we offer them, and there are owners who take advantage of this situation,” says the artist. These testimonies were shocking for the artists to hear. Arrived fresh, many tenants are not familiar with the workings of renting accommodation in the city.
“Two participants lived in rooming houses and believed that this was the housing standard in Quebec and Canada,” explains Ms. Mockler. There really is a systemic problem where private owners are exploiting people on what is a fundamental right.”
A project that changes things
With L'ADRESSE, the artists wanted to go much further than what committed people usually do. Instead of simply consulting with the tenants and drawing inspiration from their stories to create a piece of art, the tenants led the artistic project. By providing a forum for them to share their stories, the creators hoped to create political change. They also wanted to create an educational space where residents in the audience could be informed about their rights. By producing such a performance, the two artists also took care that their work was not behind the walls of a museum or theater, places that are often inaccessible for residents of working-class neighborhoods, but within the community of Côte-des-Neiges.
L'ADRESSE was presented in the Triangle sector, a former working-class neighborhood in full gentrification located near the former racecourse, where numerous housing struggles took place. “We invited politicians, including the mayor of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce,” says Ms. Mockler. Art was used as a pretext to attract them and place them in the face of this challenge. For Ms. Mockler, it was a big victory: the residents who participated in the project were able to be heard by decision makers. The committed artist remembers one resident in particular, Mr. Ismael. A refugee from Burkina Faso, he only arrived in Canada a few months before the performance. After the performance, he was able to sit down with Sue Montgomery, Mayor of the Borough, and discuss his situation.
“The mayor asked for her contact details, saying that rooming houses are illegal. She shut down the house where he lived, exclaims Mrs. Mockler with pride. It's having a real impact, and not just for people who enjoy art. It's caused real changes in society. That was my aim! ” Line Bonneau, a volunteer with Project Genèse, a community organization focused on social justice in Côte-des-Neiges, was very touched by her participation in the L'ADRESSE project. Ms. Bonneau, who has not always been a tenant, sold her house before leaving the country for a few years. When she returned to Montreal, she decided to get involved with the Genesis Project. One of her tasks was to go door to door to inform tenants of their rights.
“That's when I discovered that less than a mile away, there were incredible abuse stories. When you are a homeowner, you are not aware of this kind of thing”, reports the volunteer. In his opinion, the balance of power is so favorable to the owners that they rarely face consequences. Her performance at L'ADRESSE deals with this dark reality that she has encountered over the past nine years. Ms. Bonneau believes that projects like this, which involve citizens, are an effective way to fight the scourge.
“I think that this theatrical format can push people to become aware,” she summarizes. For Anna-Maria Camino, another participant in the work, the experience was very rewarding. During our interview, she poses by showing her biceps. This is how she ended her performance in L'ADRESSE. “I behaved like a warrior. I had makeup on, I was wearing a wig, it was great. Afterwards, a lot of people congratulated me,” she exclaims, all proud. Her partner, colleagues, mother, stepfather, and sister attended her performance. Her presence meant a lot to Ms. Camino. “She is very busy, with her children and her work, so she rarely has time to come and support my projects. This is the first time since we came to Canada that she has had the opportunity to do so,” smiles the resident of Côte-des-Neiges.
Change in the district
Following the L'ADRESSE performance, which she attended, Sue Montgomery, Mayor of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, introduced new regulations. “We prohibited renovations that are extensions of apartments,” she said. His team has also hired inspectors and set up a program to tackle unsanitary housing. If work deemed necessary is not done by the owner, it is then undertaken by the borough, and the invoice is sent to the owner. Ms. Montgomery also mentions having increased the amount of the fine that is given to owners who do not make the necessary repairs.
However, this change does not appear in the Urban Planning By-law for the borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. A new measure has been put in place to help deal with rising house prices. “This is aimed at Airbnb, which is removing apartments from the rental market and increasing the prices of apartments that are still available,” says Ms. Montgomery. This type of rental is now only allowed in private homes.
An exacerbated problem for women
For women, the problems are not limited to accessing adequate housing. Thus, it is not uncommon for a mother to be refused to rent a home on the pretext that she has young children. The owners also take advantage of the precarious position of these women.
“Homeowning men are going to knock on single mothers' doors at any time of the night,” says Ms. Mockler. It's really an intersectional problem.
These citizens are vulnerable because they have just arrived in the country, they have no status, employment or financial resources, and they are targeted because of their gender.” Sue Montgomery, Mayor of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce encourages victims to call her office in complete confidentiality for support. In this regard, she also mentions that she is open to working with the Montreal Police Department.
Multilingualism as a solution
Margot Silvestro knows the limits of housing committees well. The community organizer at the Comité d'Action des Citoyens de Verdun (CACV) is caught off guard when people who don't speak French or English face renovations. “It's a challenge, especially when they're newcomers. They may have additional concerns about their immigration status, may not be familiar with the rules, or may not want to disturb,” Ms. Silvestro explains. The organization cannot rely on a network of translators, and the responsibility for finding translators often falls on the citizen in difficulty. Ms. Camino is a support agent for Femmes du Monde, an organization that aims to bring together women in Côte-des-Neiges.
She has been an activist for housing in the neighborhood where she has lived for 15 years. Her activism is motivated by her own housing difficulties and the values she inherited from her Argentine parents. “I rented an apartment on Rue Équerre, and the heating was never turned on. The owner was very controlling. When I complained, I was given a warmer to shut me up,” testifies Ms. Camino, who had to bundle up in blankets to stay warm. The officer feels that she is lucky to speak French and to have been able to express her dissatisfaction with this situation. Many of the people she helps are not so lucky. They see her as a glimmer of hope. “When complainants hear me speak Spanish, they let off steam.
They tell me that they avoid complaining to their owner for fear of being kicked out, she explains. I tell them that they don't have to resign themselves to their fate, and that there are rights here that can protect them. They don't have to live with terror, fear — and parasites in their apartment.” The activist believes that one of the solutions is to have field workers who speak different languages. She observes that it makes people feel confident. She has appeared at the Tribunal Administratif du Logement (TAL) as an interpreter several times.
How to protect yourself from homeowners
Claudia Leduc, artist and activist, is the administrator of several Facebook groups of solidarity tenants united against gentrification. These groups are a way to spread information about housing law from one tenant to another. On their site, we commonly see publications from tenants who are taking legal action, people who share articles on the latest news on housing in Montreal and citizens who give advice on renting in the city.
“I invite people to join citizen support groups, for example the Tenants United Against Gentrification Facebook group, to talk about their problems and learn about their rights,” encourages Ms. Leduc. She also runs a private group for those who want to talk about their situation in more detail. With these groups, she hopes to make help and information about housing rights more accessible. It also encourages citizens to enter the price of their rent in the citizen register of public rent, which allows those looking for housing to see the amount of previous rents for an address. In the same spirit, she advises all tenants to leave a copy of their lease with the new tenant when they move in.
Ms. Leduc recalled that, in order to carry out work or evict persons, a written opinion must be obtained.
“Most of the time, when homeowners make verbal threats, they're not ready to take steps to send notices. They want the person to leave on their own accord,” she explains. If they know the financial situation of the tenant they are trying to evict, they can try to convince him to leave by offering him a sum of money. The activist strongly recommends that renters keep written records of all interactions with their landlord.
The responsibilities of the municipality
Leslie Touré Kapo, a researcher in urban security, believes that Montreal can be inspired by other cities in the world when it comes to renovations. “In Paris, we have just put in place a rent cap. We can also introduce a tax system for vacant homes, as in Barcelona”, suggests Mr Kapo. The specialist believes that we need to look at what some cities are doing to protect access to housing in order to better understand how to meet the needs of populations in working-class neighborhoods.
According to the researcher, candidates in the Montreal municipal election can do much more on the housing issue. He wants them to propose a concrete plan on this issue. “Access to affordable and decent housing that meets public health standards, access to housing close to public equipment and infrastructure, such as public transport, roads and lighting — these are questions that candidates should ask themselves. You have to think about urban space in all its complexity, not just about housing,” he says.M. Kapo also believes that candidates should ask themselves about language barriers and access to justice for tenants facing renovations.
“If, for example, a single-parent family that has a precarious job has problems with its owner, how can they put in place a remedy? ” he asks himself. In Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension, Mayor Giuliana Fumagalli says she is working very hard on the renovation file. “As a district, we have the power to put in place measures to try to limit housing takeovers that are made in bad faith,” recalls the mayor. Building permits are also in the jurisdiction.
“I want permits to be issued only upon presentation of a document showing that the tenants have been informed of their rights and that an agreement has been reached,” she said. She also asked that administrative services inform tenants of their rights and refer them to organizations defending the rights of tenants in their district. Ms. Fumagalli intends to support these organizations financially to help them disseminate information in several languages. She also collaborated with the three housing committees in her district to develop a form that tenants can use to protect themselves.
The document, which is illustrated with pictograms to make it more accessible, also contains a map showing where the substandard housing in the neighborhood is located. It also includes a formal notice procedure directed to owners of
To go further
- If you want to have a home inspected in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, you can contact the town hall or go to school at the district access office, at 5160 Décarie Boulevard, office 600.
- To get the form for Parc-Extension tenants, simply call 311 and go to a district committee or at the district access office, at 405 Ogilvy Street.