Many voters put the housing crisis at the top of their list of concerns for this Quebec election, yet housing groups say the issue has had scant attention in the campaign so far.
For some parties, the “housing crisis” refers to a generation of middle-class Quebecers struggling to save for a down payment on a first home. For others, the crisis is about the lack of affordable rental housing and the growing number of people resorting to “couch surfing” or living in shelters and encampments.
Housing advocacy groups point out that average rents have risen by nearly 30 per cent in Quebec since the 2022 election, and 60 per cent since 2018, when the Coalition Avenir Québec first came to power.