Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press The Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, at the National Assembly, in September 2023
After months of debate, the draft article of law 31 on lease transfers from the Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, is making its way through the National Assembly, and it should be adopted in parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
Bill 31 has reached the article-by-article study stage and elected officials looked at the one that affects lease transfers on Thursday. The session, however, ended before they had time to vote, which will probably be done during the next session, Tuesday morning.
“We are not taking anything away from the tenants, repeated the minister to justify his position. We should stop basing the housing crisis on the transfer of leases! » Ms. Duranceau also stressed that it was normal for a duplex or triplex owner to be able to decide who lives “above their head.”
At this stage, articles are debated one after the other and then adopted until the entire bill has been considered. It will then remain to have the whole adopted by all the elected representatives of the National Assembly during another session.
Failing to have ratified the article on lease transfers, the commission adopted Thursday the one which allows municipalities to ignore their urban planning regulations to accelerate the construction of housing.
Also read
- Minister Duranceau defends at length a controversial amendment to Bill 31
- The opposition will have evictions on its conscience, proclaims the minister responsible for Housing
- The CAQ wants to better regulate evictions
< li id="article-799115"> Duranceau remains unwavering on lease transfers
On Thursday, one after the other, the deputies of the Liberal Party, Quebec Solidaire and the Parti Québécois tried, in a final effort, to push it back.
Solidarity MP Andrés Fontecilla told him criticized for portraying landlords in an “idyllic” manner by giving the example of small building owners caring about the tenant above them. “Most of the time, they’re big landlords! » he said.
But Ms. Duranceau was not shaken and maintained that it was necessary to “stop basing the housing crisis on the transfer of leases” and that other tools would allow rent regulation. She recommends in particular that fines be imposed on owners who do not fulfill clause G of the lease, therefore who do not indicate the rent paid by the previous tenant.
Manon Massé recounts her experience
During the question period, solidarity MP Manon Massé even recounted how a lease assignment had been her lifeline in 2012 after a breakup. “I looked for a long time, and what finally allowed me to find accommodation was that I had an acquaintance who gave up his lease,” she said. We experience discrimination when it comes to rentals, when faced with landlords who don’t want to rent to us. Please, Madam Minister, leave the lease assignment as it is. »
In her response, Ms. Duranceau maintained her position, but expressed concern that elected officials would not have time to complete the study of her bill before the holidays. It is not particularly voluminous (38 articles), but the minister has tabled dozens of amendments in recent weeks which have increased the workload.
PQ MP Joël Arseneau has also mocked in this regard.
“When she tabled her bill, at the end of the session, last June, the minister knew full well that her work was botched, half finished, then his crews worked all summer to make up for lost time, he said. There is still a limit to improvisation. »