Gentrification Spikes in Verdun

Verdun, a borough on the southwestern side of the Island of Montreal, has been experiencing rapid gentrification.

Local 514 spoke with Lynn Lee, an activist and Community Organizer at the Comité d'action des Citoyennes et Citoyens de Verdun. 

Lee lives and works in Verdun. She said she's seen her neighbours and tenants renovicted or demovicted – this means a tenant is evicted on the premise of a renovation or demolition. Lee says it's been a bad situation since the beginning of the housing crisis.

Local 514 looked at average rent increases for unfurnished 1 bedroom apartments across different neighbourhoods from November 2020 to November 2022. Verdun had a steep average increase of $429 in two years.

In Verdun, 20% of the population lives on a low income. On Wellington-l'Église street, an area which has experienced gentrification in both commercial and residential properties, 26% of the population is living on a low income. Lee says there's been a rise of luxury condos and businesses popping up on Wellington-l'Église street.

She says vulnerable people have always been super prone to eviction, but now families, elders, students, and middle class families are being evicted in the neighbourhood.

"Evictions are out of control," said Lee. "It affects people in all aspects of their lives."

Lee says there's been cases of landlords harassing tenants to point where tenants experience psychological stress.

She said Comité d'Action des Citoyennes et Citoyens de Verdun receives calls by people who say vicious tactics are being used by landlords.

Tenants can complain to the Tribunal Administratif du Logement, but often this takes a long time, is emotionally tiring and taxing on tenants fearing the result. In some cases, tenants will give in and leave to find other housing. With rising prices resulting from leases ending and renovictions, can cause tenants to be priced out of neighbourhoods they could once afford. 

But Lee says a lot of times the cases of intimidation from landlords are backed up by the TAL, as it is not always breaking the law. 

"I've learned the TAL is not ultimately [a form of] protection for tenants," said Lee