Montreal desperately needs to restore some of its affordability.
For years, average rents in the city have increased exponentially faster than wages, with landlords bypassing regulation with renoviction schemes and other legal loopholes. Average rents in the province have increased by roughly $1,800 per year since 2023. Asking rents in Montreal have doubled since 2019.
The City of Montreal and CAQ government have failed to effectively monitor the rent-to-income ratio and ignored their regulatory responsibilities that could have prevented the crisis we’re in now.
The city needs to implement an immediate rent freeze in and push through regulation to protect Montreal tenants from the current ‘inflationary spiral’ in rent increases. Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada must make housing affordability her top priority.
It’s not acceptable for the Quebec housing tribunal to continue recommending significant rent hikes when Montrealers are already stretched too thin. Tenants deserve some relief, and measures should be taken to prevent future abusive rent increases.
Essentials like housing need better protection from institutional greed.
Montreal needs an immediate a rent freeze
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