Photo by William Crooks
Mr. and Mrs. Claus joined Normand Couture outside Saint-Famille Church in Sherbrooke on Dec. 18, spreading holiday cheer while calling for the vacant building to be converted into social housing
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Outside Saint-Famille Church in Sherbrooke on Dec. 18, community members gathered to call for urgent action on the housing crisis. Led by Normand Couture of the Association des locataires de Sherbrooke, the press conference emphasized the need to convert the vacant church into social housing.
The festive atmosphere, marked by Mr. and Mrs. Claus spreading cheer, gave way to serious concerns about affordability and displacement. “At Christmas, many of us look forward to gifts and meals with loved ones, but that’s not everyone’s reality,” Couture said on location. “For some, it’s eviction notices and fear of homelessness.”
The Association highlighted the church’s strategic location near schools, businesses, and essential services, making it ideal for social housing. Plans originally proposed by the Office municipal d’habitation and Le Parallèle in 2021 would have provided homes for 30 families at rates tailored to low-income earners. However, the city rejected the plan in favour of a library project, which was later abandoned.
Couture voiced frustration over rising gentrification in Sherbrooke’s east end, pointing to nearby developments where rents have climbed to $1,300 or $1,400 a month. “We’ve already seen this downtown—modest-income residents pushed out. Now it’s happening here,” he said. Between 2018 and 2022, homelessness in Quebec increased by 44 per cent, an issue the Association links directly to the lack of affordable housing.
With the city now owning the church, Couture urged officials to prioritize community needs over private interests. “We need to take housing out of the profit market. It’s a right, not a commodity,” he stated, drawing applause from the crowd.
The Association has planned a series of actions, including a public meeting in February and a petition to be presented at city council in the spring. “We won’t let this go. This church must serve the people who need it most,” Couture said.
The fight for Saint-Famille Church is part of a broader push to address Sherbrooke’s housing crisis. For now, the building stands empty, but its future remains a rallying point for residents determined to see change.