Parc-Extension Housing Crisis: Skyrocketing Rents and Gentrification Threaten to Uproot the Heart of Montreal’s Immigrant Community

Parc-Extension, has long been a landing spot for new immigrants. However, recent developments have significantly impacted its housing market, leading to concerns about affordability and displacement.
Rising Property Prices and Rent Increases
The Montreal housing market has experienced notable price increases across various property types. In the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension area, the median price for single-family homes was $585,000, reflecting a 4% decrease, while condos saw a 3% increase to $475,000, and plexes experienced a 5% rise to $793,000.
These rising property values have led to higher rents, making it increasingly challenging for long-term residents to afford housing in the area. In the last year alone, rent in Montreal rose by 16.4%. The average monthly rent for a four-and-a-half apartment in Quebec went from $1,222 in 2020 to $1,504 in 2023.
Impact of Gentrification
The arrival of the Université de Montréal campus in 2019 has been a significant factor in the neighborhood’s gentrification. This development attracted wealthier students and professionals, leading landlords to increase rents or repurpose properties to cater to this new demographic. Consequently, many long-standing residents, particularly from immigrant communities, have faced evictions or have been pressured to leave.
Tenant Challenges and Advocacy
Tenants in Parc-Extension have reported various challenges, including substandard living conditions and pressure from landlords to vacate. In one case, a landlord was ordered to pay over $3,500 in compensation to an immigrant family for failing to maintain safe living conditions.
Community organizations like the Comité d’Action de Parc-Extension (CAPE) have been actively supporting residents by mapping evictions and advocating for more robust tenant protections. Their efforts aim to raise awareness about the effects of gentrification and to hold stakeholders accountable.
Calls for Social Housing
In response to the housing crisis, residents and advocates have been calling for increased investment in social housing. Providing for all low-income households in greater Montreal would require about 266,000 new subsidized housing units. However, the Greater Montreal Area has added about 1,400 social housing units a year since 1995, highlighting a significant gap between supply and demand.