As winter settles in, tenant advocates in Parc-Extension are warning that a more silent seasonal pressure is also returning: the spike in “reprise de logement” claims, landlord moves to repossess units, that tenants’ groups say are too often used to displace vulnerable residents in a tight rental market.
In recent days, Montreal Media highlighted the issue publicly, noting concerns that bad-faith repossessions are growing in Parc-Extension and that the neighbourhood’s low income and immigrant population is particularly exposed.
Local advocacy groups have circulated messages pointing to the scale of the problem and urging tenants to seek advice quickly and document everything. Social posts tied to Parc-Extension housing advocacy referenced figures linked to households seeking help after losing housing due to repossession, and framed the trend as part of a wider pattern of displacement pressure.
While the legal details vary case by case, tenant organizers stress a consistent point: tenants should not wait until the last minute to understand timelines, notices, and available remedies. Workshops and information sessions have been promoted in Montreal in mid-December specifically on the topic of repossession, reflecting how common the issue has become.
The City of Montreal also points residents toward support pathways for low income tenants who cannot secure housing, including contacting 311 for potential referral to services associated with the OMHM’s housing support mechanisms.
In Park- Extension, these pressures land differently than in many parts of the city. The neighbourhood’s density means a single repossession can ripple outward: overcrowding in a relative’s apartment, kids changing schools mid-year, and families pushed farther from transit and community networks.
Tenant advocates say the most effective protection is knowledge early on, reading notices carefully, seeking credible legal information, and connecting with reputable local organizations before a dispute becomes irreversible. As the market stays tight and rents remain a dominant worry citywide, Parc-Extension’s housing story is, once again, a frontline version of Montreal’s larger crisis.
