Families left homeless after Montreal moving day

A housing advocacy group says 17 households were left homeless after this year's moving day because of a lack of affordable housing in the city.

The group Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) said that number is down from 2010, but coordinator François Saillant said it remains a serious issue.

Thousands of Quebecers move on July 1 because it is the start-date for many leases. But every year, there are families who end up without a place to live because they can't find an apartment they can afford.

"There are some very alarming trends," Saillant said. "It's important to put more pressure on the government so they will increase social housing investments next year."

Saillant said in Montreal there are 12 times more condo buildings than rental apartment buildings and, at less than three per cent, vacancy rates for apartments are the lowest they've been since 2001.

Adriana Gheorghiu's lease expired at the end of June and her rent went up. She said she couldn't find a new apartment in her price-range so she is staying in a dorm room temporarily where she has "just one bed for me and my daughter."

Saillant said the decline in the number of people left homeless this moving day is thanks to an increase in social housing built last year. However, he said the outlook for next year is not good.

"We have to be very very careful," he said. "Because there will be less social housing that will be financed in 2011-12."

Adding to the trouble, he said, is the fact of Montreal's increasing rents — the average price of an apartment has gone up 38 per cent since 2000.