William Crooks
Members of the Association des locataires de Sherbrooke and supporters gather outside the group’s Conseil Street offices on May 28 to call for urgent action to help renters facing housing insecurity ahead of July 1
Sherbrooke tenants urge action ahead of July 1 housing crunch
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
With Quebec’s traditional moving day approaching on July 1, housing advocates in Sherbrooke are sounding the alarm about a deepening crisis that could leave vulnerable renters without shelter. At a press conference held May 28 by the Association des locataires de Sherbrooke (ALS), organizers called on the City and the municipal housing office to urgently step in and assist tenants struggling to find housing.
“We held this press conference to let renters know that if they haven’t found a place for July 1, there are still services available,” said representative Normand Couture. “People are homeless all year round—we need to remember that.”
The ALS’s key message was clear: no household should end up on the street. “Our priority is to make sure that no renter is left without a home,” said Mario Mercier, another spokesperson for the association. “All renters should have found a roof over their heads by July 1. But with the housing crisis, not everyone has equal access.”
Mercier urged residents in difficulty to immediately contact the Office municipal d’habitation (OMH), which manages emergency supports like temporary accommodations and storage for furniture. “You can call the OMH to get help—get your belongings stored, get support to find housing, and get through this crisis,” he said in an interview after the conference. “There’s guidance available.”
He also criticized the use of restrictive eligibility rules. “The number of people who are unhoused has become a political issue. Sometimes criteria are added just to deny people help,” Mercier said. “But we believe the only criterion should be: are you unhoused? If yes, you should get immediate and full support to get back on your feet.”
During the press conference, speakers expressed frustration at the lack of provincial investment in social housing. “The Minister of Housing claims the situation is under control, but there wasn’t a single new dollar for social housing in the last budget,” one said.
Rental costs, they added, are forcing people to stay put out of fear. “People aren’t moving anymore—not because they’re happy where they are, but because they’re scared of ending up on the street,” one speaker noted. “Rents on the market are 40 to 50 per cent higher than they were just a few years ago.”
The psychological and financial toll was underscored by Linda Gosselin, who shared her experience of nearly becoming homeless six years ago. “I had to move for July 1, but I’d been searching for three months and couldn’t find anything,” she said in an interview. “The more time passed, the more hopeless it felt.”
With help from the ALS, Gosselin was placed in a motel and her belongings were put into storage. “We made calls every day, but everything was either too expensive or didn’t meet my needs,” she recalled. Eventually, a neighbour in a nearby co-op read her story in the paper and contacted the association. That led to an accessible, affordable unit becoming available.
“I ended up spending about a month effectively homeless, with nowhere to go but the motel,” she said. “The months before that were full of anxiety. I didn’t know if I’d have a place, or if I’d lose everything I owned.”
Gosselin says the support she received made a lasting difference. “The association called me every day, helped me stay hopeful. Mario even helped pack boxes and dismantle furniture. Today, six years later, I’m in a stable place, and I feel like myself again.”
The ALS is also calling on Sherbrooke city councillors to vote against the proposed sale of the Sainte-Famille church to a private buyer. “We’ve been asking that the Sainte-Famille church be used for social housing,” Mercier said. “If it’s sold to the private sector, we’ll end up with units that cost $1,200 or $1,600 a month—and that doesn’t solve the crisis.”
A public demonstration is planned for Friday, May 30, beginning at 980 rue Conseil in the Fleurimont borough. Protesters will march to the Sainte-Famille site to demand that the building be preserved for affordable housing. The demonstration will be followed by community activities and a free lunch.
“Let’s not forget why we’re here,” Mercier told the crowd. “We want the City to offer services to all tenants who find themselves on the street—without eligibility criteria. That’s the reason we came together today.”
He closed with a call to action: “We’re asking people to contact the OMH now, not at the last minute. Help exists—but you have to ask. And we’ll keep fighting to make sure it’s available to everyone.”