Quebec is working to strengthen its language laws once again, citing a decline in the use of French in the province. While many celebrate the Bill 96, others are apprehensive about how it will impact human rights, in part due to its use of the notwithstanding clause to circumvent sections of the federal and provincial charters of rights. Among those most impacted would be low-income anglophones and recent immigrants who aren’t fluent in French. 

Bill 96 would make French the only language in which the government could communicate with people, with exceptions for those with the right to go to elementary school in English, those with a history of communicating with the same government agency in English prior to 2021, immigrants who have been in Quebec less than six months, and Indigenous people.

The minister responsible for Bill 96, Simon Jolin-Barrette, says that this actually won’t change anything for anglophones and isn’t stripping anyone of their rights. But beneath the surface, Bill 96 will pose major challenges for the province’s already-vulnerable population. Some of the people who will face the harshest consequences are those who need access to social and economic benefits such as social assistance and pensions. Those with a limited grasp on the French language might not be able to understand eligibility requirements, for example, since the information is complicated and technical. 

For example, it might be difficult for a homeless man newly eligible for his Quebec pension to provide the government with satisfactory documents proving his right to communicate with them in English, the only language he understands. 

This additional roadblock will be all the more frustrating because it is so deliberate and unnecessary. English translations of government form letters will still be drawn up, but those who lack English eligibility will be prohibited from receiving them. Government agents may wish to speak English on the telephone to vulnerable people who do not understand French, but they will be prohibited from doing so.

Face à Face has worked with vulnerable populations and has seen countless examples of people becoming discouraged by government red tape from accessing their economic and social rights. Many of those we work with are more comfortable speaking in English, use our mail reception services to get their social assistance cheques, and it’s already difficult for them to get official papers and ID even at the best of times.

With French already having been Quebec’s official language for decades, the new requirements under Bill 96 that prevent the government from communicating in non-official languages even with vulnerable people seem unnecessary at best.

If looking for an apartment in Montreal is making your head spin this year, you’re not alone. A report released last week shows that in 2020 the city saw its biggest rent increase in the last two decades. Yes, during a pandemic. 

On top of skyrocketing prices, tenants groups have been working tirelessly to help people navigate discriminatory practices, apartment conditions, and evictions under the pretext of renovations to bump up rent (renovictions). More and more people are being forced to accept subpar living conditions, taking on a lease they can’t afford, or staying put in their apartments. 

Montrealers have been concerned about the acceleration of the housing crisis for years. For example, Parc-Extension has been seeing the effects of gentrification brought on by a new Université de Montréal campus in the area since 2017. Though 43 per cent of Parc-Extension households live below the poverty line, rent prices have been going up while major cultural hubs are bought by condo developers. 

The previous municipal administration promised residents 225 units of social housing. By 2019, only 54 units had been built. According to the 2015 census data, Montreal’s homeless population reached over 3,000 people, over 400 of which sleep outside. Though homelessness rates are lower than other major cities facing housing crises like Toronto and Vancouver, Montreal has a higher number of people sleeping outside. 

With July 1, Montreal’s moving day, rapidly approaching, factors brought on by the pandemic are presenting additional challenges like loss of income and limits on in-person visits. While people are struggling to find housing, Quebec’s premier proved to be out of touch with the city’s reality when he estimated that an apartment in Montreal costs $500 per month. 

The numbers are grim. Even with Quebec announcing a $151 million project to build 1500 units of affordable housing in the province, many are skeptical since these promises have been made before. But it is a step forward and one that is sorely needed. Housing activists have also been advocating for a mandatory publicly available and free rent registry to demand accountability. However, the provincial government has deemed the project “too expensive.” 

Though many are reluctant to rely on the government, there are ways Montrealers can work together to keep rent prices low and help each other find housing. Here’s some important information everyone should know: 

Refused housing based on discriminatory practices?

Are you unsure that you’ve been discriminated against? Here’s what’s covered by the Charter of Rights and Liberties:

• Race and ethnicity
• Gender
• Pregnancy
• Sexual orientation
• Familial situation
• Age
• Religion
• Political beliefs 
• Language
• Ability
• Socio-economic standing (though a landlord can make sure you can afford rent, they cannot discriminate based on your source of revenue.) 

What can I do if I’m being discriminated against? Is it even worth it to bother complaining?

Yes! It’s always worth it to know and exercise your rights. You can file complaints through the Commission des droits de la personne et de la jeunesse (CDPDJ) at their 1-800-361-6477 number. Make sure to have: 

1. A copy of the landlord’s advertisement (screenshot, photo, newspaper clipping, etc.)
2. Copy of any forms you’ve filled out, emails, and/or texts showing the landlord’s refusal. 
3. Date and time of the phone call and/or in-person visit. 
4. Landlord’s name and contact information.
5. If possible, proof that the unit is still available (ad, witness, texts/calls from a friend who was offered a visit, etc.)  

The CDPDJ will advocate on your behalf within a 48 hour delay by contacting the landlord and reminding them of their obligations under the Charter. This works for most, though others may have to go through a more detailed complaint process that involves an investigation. 

Source: Comité logement Ville-Marie 

Transferring your lease.

Did you know you can assign your lease to someone else? That means the next tenant will be paying the same rent you did. You must notify your landlord of your intention to assign your lease in writing, and they are not allowed to refuse the assignment without a serious reason. If you think your landlord refused a lease assignment based through discrimination, refer to the previous section. For more information go to https://www.tal.gouv.qc.ca/en/assignment-of-a-lease-or-subleasing

Always check how much the previous tenant paid in rent.

According to the law, landlords must disclose how much the previous tenant paid per month in Section G of a lease. Often landlords omit this information and tenants have no way of verifying if it’s accurate. Providing the next tenant with a copy of your lease, either in person or by mail, is an act of solidarity and keeps prices in check. 

How can I avoid abusive rent hikes?

Once you have your new lease in hand, check Section G. If the landlord is charging you more than what is listed in Section G, you have 10 days after signing to demand a price revision. If the landlord failed to indicate the previous rent price or fudged the information, you have up to two months to demand a revision. 

Source: Comité logement Ville-Marie 

How do I refuse a rent hike?

Landlords are only allowed to hike your rent by a small percentage each year based on major renovations and taxes. Your landlord should provide you with all necessary documents proving that the rent hike is justified. 

The rent hike should be in writing following the Regie du logement’s model. After receiving the document, you have one month to print out the refusal form on the Regie’s website, fill out your information and response, and send it to your landlord. If you and your landlord can’t agree on a price, they have one month to open a file with the Regie who will then call you to a hearing and set a fair price. 

What can Face a Face do for me?

Face a Face Montreal offers some services to find housing. For those lacking internet access, we can conduct housing searches online and provide a list of phone numbers to contact. Under special circumstances, we can also accompany clients to their visits. We offer referrals to shelters and social housing.

Mike Palmer is the Executive Director of the Foundation of Catholic Community Services, a non-profit organization that owns the building where Face à Face is currently located. When Centraide unexpectedly cut their funding a year ago, Face à Face was forced to look for a new locale. Of course, finding accommodation is often quite difficult for non-profit organizations. Mike, however, was exceptionally welcoming. He chose to help Face à Face because it “epitomizes the foundation’s mission.” That mission is simple: to support organizations with its infrastructure in helping to change people’s lives. The foundation has created a unique model with its infrastructure, a ‘shared space’, that rents out their offices to groups that are in need, rather than privileging those that can ‘afford’ the usual price tag that comes with a downtown location. This way, they have redefined what a building can be, and do. This is a rarity worth preserving: a business model that helps the non-profit. Truly, the foundation has cultivated a space for non-profit groups to come together in forming a collectivity that allows them to support one another. The building where Face à Face is located houses 25 organizations – a vibrant community formed of individuals and groups with different mandates that have all come together in supporting each other. When asked what Face à Face has brought to their community, Mike answers plainly, “Life.” Anyone that walks through the building’s doors immediately senses the dynamic community therein: “What was really missing was a service provider… and now we have service providers. There are people. There’s action. There’s drama. There is work being done in the community.” Mike urges the population to help Face a Face in facing their new financial struggles – struggles he, as a director of a non-profit organization, is all too familiar with. He recognizes that “helping people and changing people’s lives is a difficult job, and any group like that deserves all the support we can give them.” He is spot-on. Thank you, Mike, for your on-going support.

Written by Emma Telaro 

Alfred first encountered Face à Face by accident. He had recently been released from the penitentiary when he came across a sign outside their door advertising free coffee. Twenty-five years later, he still comes around, “I go into to Face à Face to let them know I’m still alive, and to cause trouble, to get them in a laughing mood,” he says jokingly.  Alfred is currently in the hospital. His heart is very weak. Throughout his interview, he often pauses to catch his breath. But his spirit remains strong. This is a man who is straightforward, witty and a survivor. He is also unwavering in his loyalty to Face à Face. He understands their impact, because he has experienced it first hand.

Over the last 25 years, he has used Face à Face’s services many times. He has faced adversity throughout most of his life and has struggled to cultivate a place for himself where he felt healed and balanced.  He has lived on the streets, apartments, motels and back again. In all that time, Face à Face has supported him, listened, referred and championed him. He has since become something of their unofficial spokesperson, agreeing to give talks at several of their fundraisers, and promising to participate in any future events, “even if I’m in my bed at the hospital, I’ll get there somehow.” Although his tone is light, public speaking is difficult for him. Often, much of his past comes up in his talks – a history of abuse, and the death of his sister still haunt him. “I’m working on it,” he says. Despite this trauma, Alfred still chooses to tell his story, and this because of his mission: “I want to make sure Face à Face never closes, that’s why I do the fundraising.”

Face à Face has meant everything to Alfred. There he feels at peace and has found people he can trust – it is, quite rightly, “the only organization that actually treats me with dignity and more than just a guy with problems.” This is the perfect way of summing up their extraordinary humanity – what sets them apart from other service providers and warrants their conservation.

Written by Emma Telaro