Quebec Tenants Demand the Urgent Cancellation of Rents

Thousands of tenants all over Quebec can’t pay and will not pay rent on April 1st

Montreal, March 30, 2020 – With rent day just two days away, tenants in Quebec continue to demand the urgent cancellation of rent.

Thousands, likely tens of thousands, of tenants all over Quebec simply cannot pay rent this Wednesday, or need to keep their money for basic necessities such as food and medicine.The housing crisis, already alarming before the COVID-19 epidemic, is reaching critical proportions.

Premier François Legault, and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, have urged landlords to be accommodating with their tenants. However, many landlords, particularly in poor, working class and immigrant neighborhoods, are telling their tenants they must pay rent on April 1st, and many landlords are threatening to begin eviction proceedings once the temporary suspension on eviction hearings at the Quebec Rental Board is lifted.

At the Quebec government press conference on Monday afternoon, journalists must ask Premier Legault, Health Minister Danielle McCann and Housing Minister Andrée Laforest what tangible steps they will take, urgently, to provide relief to tenants across the Province. During the current health crisis, secure housing is an important public health prerogative. Moreover, the anxiety and stress currently suffered by thousands of tenants will be relieved with a clear announcement of the cancellation of rents.

The relief promised by the federal government cannot be applied for until April 6, with the first funds being distributed 10 days later, meaning tenants will be in default until mid-April at the earliest. Moreover, many tenants, who live month-to-month, will not qualify for federal relief.

Rent strike, refusal and cancellation efforts have multiplied all over Quebec and Canada. Even Conservative Premier Doug Ford has commented publicly that if tenants in Ontario are forced to choose between paying for food or rent, they should pay for food and that they should be protected from eviction in the future.

The Premier, Minister of Health and Minister of Housing have the power to stop the tenant crisis in Quebec, and they must do so in advance of April 1st.

According to Rachel Tremblay, a tenant living in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: “I simply can’t pay rent on April 1st, otherwise I will have no money for food and other essentials for my family. I have not been able to work for two weeks and I’m not currently eligible for benefits, and might not ever be, except for welfare which won’t cover my rent.”

Tremblay adds: “There is enough stress to maintain calm during this health crisis, but living with the anxiety of losing my apartment after this crisis due to failure to pay rent is making my mental and physical health worse.” Tremblay launched a public petition demanding the cancellation of rents. As of March 29, the petition (http://chng.it/XJctK2Tw) is getting close to 8,000 signatures. A pan-Canadian petition (http://chng.it/vwtJd68LhP) has reached 737,000 signatures.  

Another tenant, Dalinder Grewal from Parc-Extension, adds: “Poor and immigrant tenants, who might not be aware of their rights, are being told by landlords that they must pay rent on April 1st, or they will be evicted. My neighbors are living in fear of illegal eviction, and have to make the horrible choice about whether to pay rent or feed their families. Landlords are not being accommodating, despite what Premier Legault and Mayor Plante have asked. An urgent rent cancellation is needed immediately to stop this injustice and to stop further misery.”

The White Sheets for a Rent Strike (Draps blancs pour la grève des loyers) campaign is calling for the cancellation of rent and mortgage payments, including interest, for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. We invite the public to display the white sheet symbol on the front of their homes to show their solidarity with those made most vulnerable by this crisis, with those who are unable to pay their rent, and with those who will support them through a rent strike. We also invite landlords, also affected by the crisis, to join this call.

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Source: Draps blancs pour la grève des loyers

www.cancelrent.ca
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