William Crooks
François Danis (Tremplin 16-30), Denise Godbout (Habitations de l’Équerre), Geneviève Houde (Tremplin 16-30), Bertrand Takam (property owner), Joe Hawthorn (youth representative), and Line Thibault (La Source-Soleil) gathered at the QG de l’Entrepreneuriat to address Sherbrooke’s youth housing crisis
Sherbrooke youth testify to urgent need for affordable housing
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The mounting housing crisis in Sherbrooke is hitting young people especially hard, as outlined in a press conference held on May 21 by the Concertation logement Sherbrooke (CLS) and the Table de concertation jeunesse de Sherbrooke (TCJS). Speakers including housing advocates, community workers, a local property owner, and a young tenant highlighted the need for urgent, collective action to provide stable, affordable housing for youth in precarious situations.
“This is not just a housing issue—it’s a question of basic rights,” said François Danis of Tremplin 16-30, who called for housing to be treated as a fundamental right on par with health care and education. He urged municipal authorities to commit to having 20 per cent of rental units in Sherbrooke outside the private market, through social housing, cooperatives, and non-profits.
Danis also called for structural changes, including rent control measures, abolishing lease loopholes that allow unlimited increases in new constructions, and the creation of a permanent municipal housing committee.
The personal stakes of the crisis were brought home in a harrowing testimony by Joe Hawthorn, a young man who spent months in unsafe, unaffordable living conditions before ending up in a shelter. “I stayed in a violent shared apartment because I had nowhere else to go. My mental and physical health deteriorated until I experienced several suicidal crises,” Hawthorn said. He eventually took an overpriced and poorly located unit, spending more than 75 per cent of his income on rent.
“There are no direct bus lines to the city centre evenings or weekends. I’m completely socially isolated,” he said. Although he later qualified for a rent supplement, the long wait left him with mounting debt and damaged credit. “The suffering of people waiting for housing is unnecessary,” he said. “We know the solutions—rent control, social housing—but profits are being prioritized over life.”
Line Thibault, director of La Source-Soleil, confirmed that in February 2022, at least 250 young people in Sherbrooke were in a housing emergency, with numbers expected to have risen since. “Young people living on social assistance or student aid simply cannot afford average rents in Sherbrooke, which exceed $800 for a one-bedroom,” she said. “Even when housing is available, they face discrimination, lack credit history, or can’t afford basic furnishings.”
Thibault also outlined the support systems in place, including the Programme qualification jeunesse (PQJ), Aire ouverte, Tremplin 16-30, Maison Jeunesse, and Projet APPART—all of which offer accompaniment, health services, transitional housing, and social reintegration. “But these resources are still poorly known by the public and especially by landlords,” she added.
One of those landlords, Bertrand Takam, also spoke. “We could have evicted our tenant many times,” he said of a young person he houses through PQJ, “but we knew he would end up on the street. So, we didn’t.” Takam and his spouse are currently working on developing new affordable studio units for youth and are seeking community partnerships to make the project viable. “We don’t ask about credit. We just open the door.”
Denise Godbout of Habitations l’Équerre announced a concrete step forward: 19 new studios at 14 Jean-Maurice will be made available this summer for youth from Tremplin 16-30 and La Source-Soleil, each supported by a rent supplement and community workers. “We are proud to offer these young people a dignified start,” she said.
Geneviève Houde of Tremplin 16-30 explained that the initiative—called Le Milieu—bridges the gap between emergency shelters and fully independent living. “Some youth leaving the youth protection system or hospital are not yet ready to manage a full apartment on their own. This gives them a middle ground, with on-site support and stability.”
With Sherbrooke’s vacancy rate hovering around 1 per cent, the CLS and TCJS concluded by urging more private landlords to step forward. “We need partners who are willing to offer stability to young people,” said organizers. “If you’re building, developing, or just thinking about it—call Projet APPART.”
The groups emphasized that young people must be recognized as full citizens with the same rights to housing as anyone else. “The right to housing must apply to everyone,” said Houde. “Our society has the means to make that happen—what we need now is the will.”
For more information on youth housing support, residents and landlords are invited to contact Projet APPART at 819-791-0400.