As Trade War Escalates, Renters Reject Rigged Real Estate Rules

In Montreal, the largest pan-Canadian gathering of tenant organizers in a generation is demanding immediate action to control rents, stop evictions and build social housing on a post-war scale

Montreal, QC – With a federal election on the horizon, renters are gathering from across Canada to sound the alarm about the dual burden of a US-Canada trade war and maintaining the profits of real estate speculators. As parties struggle to address the housing crisis, this emerging coalition is bringing the fight for housing onto the stage of Federal politics, demanding rent control, eviction moratoria, and a dramatic expansion of social housing in Canada.

• Press Conference: 11am, March 7th (setup starts 10:30am)
  9th floor, 1600 Blvd. De Maisonneuve Ouest (John Molson School of Business)

The Housing Justice Convergence (HJC) will bring together hundreds of organizers, advocates, and community leaders from across Canada under a common demand: that housing be treated as a human right and not a commodity. The HJC, which will take place from March 7th-9th in Montreal, is set to be one of the largest coast-to-coast gatherings of grassroots housing activists in recent memory.

"In Canada’s loosely regulated rental markets, landlords’ profits soar in prosperous times, while tenants bear the brunt of economic downturns,” says Ricardo Tranjan, Senior Researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

“For decades, housing policies have focused on incentives to the private sector—this approach has clearly  failed,” Tranjan added. “Historically, market regulations and public provision have delivered much better outcomes.”

The press conference on March 7th will feature Bruno Dobrusin and Chiara Padovani of Toronto’s York South Weston tenant union, FRAPRU coordinator Catherine Lussier, and Ricardo Tranjan, author of The Tenant Class (2023). Each speaker will address the conditions faced by organizers in their cities—Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City and Montreal—and the convening of a pan-Canadian coalition to fight for housing as a human right.

"This is about ensuring that housing is a right, not a privilege," says Catherine Lussier. “Public funding and land should be prioritized to serve the low and modest income tenants.” 

“The housing private developers are building is simply too expensive, even when it is ‘affordable.’” added Lussier. “The government has invested massively in social housing before, and it can do it again—we’re here to provide a reminder."

The Housing Justice Convergence will include over 20 workshops, discussions, and caucus events, with 60 speakers from at least 8 provinces. The Convergence will showcase diverse voices, from tenant organizers to policy advocates, artists, academics, and frontline workers—all committed to resisting displacement and creating community-led housing solutions.

"The core issue is the commodification of housing, and how tenants are fighting back" says Bruno Dobrusin. “Investors making profits by raising rents is something that is happening everywhere, and it disproportionately affects the people who are struggling to make ends meet.”

As the federal election approaches, the Housing Justice Convergence will issue a call for all renters and allies to unite in fighting for a fundamental shift in Canada's housing policies. “This is a social force that is already in motion,” said SEIZE Executive Director Olivia Champagne. “But it’s about to get a lot bigger and louder.”

For schedule information and additional speakers at the Convergence, visit https://housingjustice.now/convergence/schedule