Ghazal urges tenant protections at Montreal rally against property speculation

Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal and housing critic Andrés Fontecilla urged Quebec's new government to strengthen tenant protections at a Wednesday evening rally in Montreal, Le Devoir reported on November 4. About 200 people gathered at Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, according to the newspaper.

The party called for a lease register, requiring landlords to justify rent increases, and anonymizing decisions by Quebec's housing tribunal so tenants can assert their rights without fearing reprisals.

The rally followed an October 22 Enquête investigation into property speculation. Québec solidaire said a petition it launched the previous week had collected more than 33,000 signatures. Ghazal criticized practices that pressure vulnerable tenants to leave or accept rent increases, including practices that remain legal, the party said.

In a response quoted by Le Devoir, Housing Minister Elsie Lefebvre said she had reviewed the investigation's troubling findings. She said the government would enforce the law and increase housing supply through social housing and fewer construction regulations.