WI Tenant Action Committee holding four workshops on evictions
By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban
The West Island Tenant Action Committee (TQSOI) is offering four free workshops in response to the significant rise in evictions and repossessions of rental units in the West Island and Greater Montreal Area (GMA) over the last decade.
In the period from July 2022 to July 2023, the Association of Housing Committees and Tenant Alliances of Quebec (RCLALQ) received more than 3,500 tenant complaints related to forced evictions in the GMA.
“Based on the popularity of our rent increase workshop series, we have decided to expand our popular education efforts to other important and pressing topics for tenants,” TQSOI Community Organizer Lily Martin told The Suburban. “In the last 10 years, we have seen a dramatic rise in evictions and repossessions in the West Island and beyond, so it is more important now than ever that tenants be informed of their rights. There have also been some recent changes to the laws in Quebec regarding evictions and repossessions that all tenants should know about.”
The law referenced by Martin is the recently instituted Bill 65 which established a moratorium on evictions for the purposes of subdividing apartments, enlarging apartments substantially or changing destinations for a period of three years. The law also amends the Civil Code of Quebec to provide further protection to low-income seniors facing evictions and repossessions, lowering the age qualification from age 70 to 65.
The series includes four workshops, two online in French and English and two in person in each language. Though geared towards West Island tenants, the workshops are open to all tenants. Martin says the goal is to simplify the information as much as possible to make it useful for tenants. “We want to make sure people are not just hearing but understanding. The purpose is to make it as comprehensible and accessible as possible.”
English sessions will take place in person on November 19 and online on November 29. French sessions will take place online November 22 and in person November 26. In-person workshops will take place at 100 Douglas-Shand in Pointe-Claire. n
WI Tenant Action Committee holding four workshops on evictions Read More »