Benoit Dorais.

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The City of Montreal launched an information campaign hoping to help Montreals navigate what they are calling an unprecedented housing crisis, and to deal with rent increases amid the shortage of affordable housing.

The recommended rent increase, announced last month by the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL), and reported on in The Suburban, is the highest increase in the last three decades: 5.9 percent. The city points out that landlords have until the end of March to submit notice of rent increases for leases starting July 1. Tenants have a month to either accept or refuse.

The city put out its warning in the hopes of reducing the number of households using the rehousing service offered by the city in collaboration with the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM).

“The housing crisis in Montreal has dramatic repercussions for some households who find themselves homeless on July 1, because they have not found housing that meets their financial capacity,” said Montreal’s head of housing Benoit Dorais. “It is crucial to know your rights to better enforce them.”

The city is warning Montreal tenants to think carefully before terminating a lease and moving. It is recommending to those thinking of moving to start searching for a new place to live now due to the shortage of affordable housing. It is also suggesting renters visit the city’s website to avail themselves of online tools from the OMHM that groups available housing by the number of rooms and amount. It also recommends the organization Vivre en Ville organization as a good source of information about the costs of rent in different areas.

The city said in its release that neighbourhood housing committees are available, as well, “to help you see things more clearly.” n