Projet Montréal Pushes Rent Assistance Fund Amid Housing Crisis
The opposition party proposes diverting homebuyer subsidies to a new fund designed to prevent evictions as 65% of Montrealers rent.
With two-thirds of Montreal residents renting, the city's opposition party Projet Montréal has proposed a bold reallocation: redirect the municipal homebuyer assistance fund into a new rent assistance program aimed at preventing evictions.
The proposal comes as housing affordability remains one of the city's most pressing issues. During last fall's municipal election, both Projet and the governing Ensemble Montréal made promises to boost funding for Maison du Père, a housing aid organization. Projet is now formalizing that commitment by suggesting a different funding mechanism—one they argue better serves the majority of Montrealers who will never own property in this market.
The pitch reflects a philosophical shift in how the city might think about housing support. Rather than subsidizing entry-level homeownership, Projet argues the money should shore up renters facing displacement. The proposal will likely spark debate about municipal priorities and what housing support actually means in a city where rent prices have climbed steadily. Whether Ensemble Montreal, which controls city council, will embrace the idea remains uncertain—but the conversation signals how central housing affordability has become to local politics.