Montreal ranks 42nd in North America for housing availability
With Moving Day two days away, the Greater Montreal Observatory reports a deepening crisis: rents average $1,920 for a two-bedroom, and over 3,100 households still searching.
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Greater Montreal ranks 42nd out of 43 major metropolitan areas in North America for housing availability, according to an economic report published Monday by the Greater Montreal Observatory. Only Quebec City's metropolitan area ranks lower.
The crisis is acute heading into Quebec's annual Moving Day on July 1. More than 3,100 households in the province are still searching for housing, with over 2,100 receiving active assistance from the Quebec Housing Society — a sharp increase from the same date last year.
The Observatory found the housing vacancy rate in Montreal stood at 2.9 per cent in 2025 and has since risen to around 3.1 per cent, technically at the equilibrium threshold. But the vacant units are ones average households cannot afford. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Greater Montreal has reached $1,920 per month.
The province announced a project for 45 affordable housing units in Saint-Lazare, in the Montérégie region, expected to be ready in 2028. Meanwhile, Québec solidaire unveiled four new proposals grouped under the "anti-speculation shield" — measures designed to make real estate speculation more difficult while adding protections for tenants who fall victim to it.
