By the numbers: Quebec’s struggles with social housing

Practically one-third of Quebec’s social housing items — roughly 21,500 properties — is in a state of disrepair. Advocates fear current budgets will likely be insufficient as a result of inflation is outpacing the tempo of renovations.

Social housing is owned by the provincial authorities and units rents at 25 per cent of the renters’ family revenue.

Listed below are some numbers on Quebec’s social housing inventory:

— Complete of about 74,000 social housing items; 21,500 items want renovations.

— Quebec’s social housing complexes are graded on a scale from A to E. Models that obtain a D or E grade are in very poor situation, with the fee to convey them as much as code exceeding 15 per cent of the constructing’s substitute worth.

— The provincial authorities says items with a D or E score may be secure and liveable, because the grades are primarily based on the estimated price of labor over 5 years.

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— Social housing advocates say 43.9 per cent of items (26,922 properties) obtained a D or E grade in 2023. In 2026, that proportion was all the way down to 34.2 per cent (21,457 items).

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— The upkeep deficit rose by 25 per cent between 2023 and 2026. In 2023, the federal government estimated it wanted greater than $859.5 million to restore the 1,574 buildings in poor situation. In 2026, it wants greater than $1.079 billion to renovate the remaining 1,445 buildings.

— Some items that obtained a grade between A and C deteriorated to a D between 2023 and 2026.

— Greater than half of Quebec’s social housing inventory is within the Montreal space.


— In Montreal, the share of items with a D or E grade dropped from 76 per cent in 2023 to 53 per cent in 2026.

— In Laval, Montreal’s northern suburb, 85.7 per cent of its social housing items had been in poor situation in 2023. Three years later, 82.2 per cent nonetheless want main renovations. Solely 578 items within the metropolis are thought-about in good situation.

— In Quebec’s areas, which have fewer social housing complexes than greater cities, many of the inventory is in good situation.

— In Montérégie, the Japanese Townships and Lanaudière, between 40 and 53 per cent of the housing inventory is in severe want of renovations.

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— The Quebec housing authority says practically $3.6 billion has been put aside till 2028 to renovate the social housing inventory, beginning in 2023.

— In accordance with the Quebec housing authority, about $1.3 billion of that $3.6 billion has already been allotted or spent.

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