The community organization Brique par Brique hosted a panel discussion on October 4th, 2023. The discussion centered on the housing crisis in Montreal, and the false solutions often proposed. The conversation was facilitated by community organizer and artist Stefan Christoff. Six guests were invited to speak on the matter.

• Hubert Gendron-Blais, the founder of the collective Réverbérations d’une crise en cours : une enquête sonore sur le logement à Montréal project, and artist.
• Gaurav Sharma, a community organizer at The Immigrant Workers Centre focused on working class communities in Parc Extension.
• Amy Darwish, a community organizer at Comité d’Action de Parc-Extension.
• Dru Oja Jay, the executive director of CUTV and a publisher at The Breach.
• Faiz Abhuani, the founder and director of  Brique par Brique.
• Nathan McDonnell, a community organizer with the Comité des citoyen.ne.s de Milton Parc Citizens’ Committee.

Throughout the last few years, Montreal has seen its housing and rental market become hyper-commodified. Affordable and social housing budgets have suffered severe cuts. Panelists at the discussion talk about how they have been dealing with these roadblocks, and how these issues are impacting vulnerable populations in the city.

With the recent proposal of Bill 31, the panelists looked into the issue of the current housing crisis.

Abhuani mentioned that Bill 31 passing would lead to an adverse impact on the lives of tenants, their communities and the city. 

Hebert, reflecting off of Abhuani, said that one of the most terrible aspects of the housing crisis, outside of its impact on individual lives, is that it is changing the collective experience of the city: the spaces shared, the ambiences, living instead of surviving. He spoke about a relatively new initiative, the Front de Liberaton pour un Immobilier Populaire (FLIP), which is launching a campaign to do a demonstration every Thursday, as well as documenting the bad actions of landlords.

Amy Darwish described Bill 31 as terrifying, but part of a bigger process. She said it caters to the interests of real estate developers and the private sector at the expense of tenants. An example of this is the recent cutback of Acces Logis, a social housing program.

Other panelists also mentioned the impact to which non status individuals, immigrants and families are affected and their incapacity to feed their families or themselves properly due to rent increases. They also mentioned the importance of cultural activities for Indigenous individuals as they are disproportionately affected by homelessness.