Achi news desk-
The housing crisis is having a serious impact on the mental health of tenants, say organizations calling on Prime Minister Francois Lego to act.
This has become the main source of stress for psychiatric patients in Quebec, according to the Regroupement des Ressources Alternatives en Santé Mentale au Québec (RRASMQ), which held a press conference in Montreal on Sunday along with the Regroupement des Comités Logement et Associations de Tenants of Quebec (RCLALQ). .
Both groups presented an open letter addressed directly to Legault, which will be published in the media on Tuesday.
More than 300 organizations specializing in housing and mental health are imploring Golol to take concrete action to solve the housing crisis, which is causing so much distress.
“Unfortunately, with the current orientations of the current Quebec government, there is no glimmer of hope that this situation will improve,” said RCLALQ spokesperson and co-ordinator Cédric Dussault.
He noted “the growing sense of desperation among tenants who turn to housing committees and tenant associations”.
According to him, the increase in mental health problems is a consequence of the housing crisis.
“We are speaking directly to the Prime Minister to remind him of his responsibility towards the residents of Quebec. The residents represent over 40% of the population that the Prime Minister must serve,” Dussault said.
High rents, evictions and substandard housing can cause anxiety, depression, insomnia and even suicidal thoughts, say RCLALQ and RRSAMQ.
The RRASMQ surveyed 35 resource organizations in the field to reach these conclusions.
Co-ordinator of RCLALQ, Martin Blanchard, noted that it is very difficult for tenants to get help from the Housing Court when they are facing eviction.
“Most of the phone calls that tenants make to the Administrative Court are disconnected before you can even speak to a human being. There is a robot that tells you ‘all lines are busy’ and then you hang up without even taking the time to leave a message,” said Blanchard. “Imagine the situation when someone walks into your home and says ‘you’re leaving’. Imagine the strain it causes on people’s mental health.”
RRASMQ president Peter Belland is in the same situation. He has been threatened with eviction since 2018. The artist, who suffers from depression, is forced to turn to food banks, while 80 percent of his income is dedicated to paying his rent.
“This pressure weighs heavily on me. I can’t continue my work. My apartment is becoming a mess. My workshops are impractical,” he said.
The self-employed worker, who lives in Cowesville, regrets not being able to get housing: “My landlord wants to put me out on the street because he wants to be entitled to this money, which now seems normal.”
If he leaves, he will have to pay about five times more rent than he does now.
concrete requirements
The signatories of the letter call for a freeze on evictions for rezoning, expansions and divisions, in order to reduce speculation.
They also want all possessions and evictions to go through the Housing Court, which can ensure control and monitoring.
Finally, the organizations want a public rental register, a limit on rent increases and a government social housing program.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 5, 2024.
