City of Montreal criticized after low-income tenants forced from ‘unsafe’ homes
MONTREAL — Between the leaky ceiling, rats, and occasional squatters in the staircase, the two-storey apartment building in Montreal’s Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood had its share of problems.
But as the mostly low-income tenants left the building for the final time Thursday following an eviction notice, some questioned whether, in its zeal to protect citizens, the city was leaving them homeless.
As they walked down the staircase one by one, carrying plastic shopping bags and — in one instance — a cat, some said they didn’t know where they would live in the future.
“We had 20 days to find a place, you can’t do that, if you’re lucky, OK, but you can’t just find a place in February,” said 58-year-old resident Glenn Fox.