Now, residents are not forced out if their financial situation later improves. But Bill 20 would change that, introducing financial penalties for some residents whose income rises above thresholds that have not yet been determined.<\/p>\n
Miller estimates about a third of residents in her co-op could eventually be forced out by the proposed legislation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe intent of a co-operative is for you to improve your life,\u201d Miller explained. \u201cYou don\u2019t get penalized if your life gets better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bill 20 would also create a centralized system for selecting residents for certain affordable housing.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the changes are intended to improve access to affordable housing as Quebec faces pressure on rents and housing supply, the government has said.<\/p>\n
Last year a report by Quebec\u2019s auditor general said at least 2,700 households across the province were benefiting from subsidized housing despite incomes exceeding the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 d\u2019habitation du Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s eligibility thresholds.<\/p>\n
Still, co-op residents and housing advocates argue the legislation fundamentally misunderstands how housing co-operatives function.<\/p>\n
Unlike standard apartment buildings, housing co-operatives are collectively managed by residents themselves. Members help oversee maintenance, finances and daily operations, often volunteering hundreds of hours each year. Boards typically select new residents based on income but also on the skills and time they can contribute to the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can only come into a co-op if you\u2019re accepted as a member \u2014 a member who\u2019s going to contribute to the community,\u201d Miller said. \u201cWe might need somebody who has gardening skills all of a sudden, so we\u2019ll probably be more likely to look for somebody who has gardening skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
In March, Patrick Pr\u00e9ville, executive director of the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration de l\u2019habitation coop\u00e9rative du Qu\u00e9bec, which represents 480 of the 1,300 housing co-operatives in the province, warned that the legislation \u201cthreatens the long-term survival of the model of co-operative housing in Quebec.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Front d\u2019action populaire en r\u00e9am\u00e9nagement urbain has also said the legislation fails to address the broader shortage of affordable housing while risking the destabilization of existing co-operatives.<\/p>\n
A petition at the National Assembly calling on the government to withdraw parts of Bill 20 gathered more than 14,000 signatures before closing this month.<\/p>\n
Miller said the diversity of backgrounds within her co-op is what makes the model effective.<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferent people from different backgrounds can actually work together and kind of take control of where they live,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
As for the focus of her attention in the building, she has recently shifted to a radioactive gas called radon, often found in basements.<\/p>\n
She began researching the lung-cancer-linked hazard after having heard about it from a colleague. She\u2019s now organizing testing across the apartments.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government can\u2019t tell us what we need,\u201d she said. \u201cWe know what we need.\u201d<\/p>\n
With files from The Gazette\u2019s Linda Gyulai<\/p>\n
Do you have a story tip? Write to me at hnorth@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779232809_504_bd211689c712b58cda5a717ca21eddc0c1d2ff556031357b6fe97b9b327e4b7e.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n