by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has issued a statement following news that the Quebec government aims to ban evictions in the province until 2027.
The three-year moratorium on evictions is part of Bill 65, which was tabled in the National Assembly by Quebec Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau this morning. The law would prevent landlords from evicting tenants to subdivide a dwelling, enlarge it or change its use (ie. renoviction), but would not restrict repossessions with the purpose of having a landlord’s family move in.
Plante praised the news, expressing the importance of protecting the rights of tenants in Montreal ahead of Moving Day on July 1.
“The majority of people who live in Montreal are renters. These measures to protect them from evictions are therefore welcome. We must increase the means to protect tenants, many of whom are experiencing great stress as July 1 approaches.”
As per Bill 65, the ban on evictions could end earlier than the spring of 2027 if the vacancy rate for rental units in Quebec cities reaches 3%
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Bill 65 would also expand the “Françoise David law,” established in 2016, by raising the minimum age of low-income tenants protected from evictions and repossessions from 70 to 65.
The CAQ wants the bill to be adopted before the end of the parliamentary session on June 7.