Promotion and Realization of the Right to Housing of Racialized Tenants in Montreal

Project

Parent Organization

Acorn Montreal

Territory

Montreal, Québec

Grant

Community-Based Tenant Initiative Fund

Amount

$42,000

Project Summary

This ACORN Montreal project initiates a transformative process by establishing tenant working groups in two target neighborhoods, Lasalle and Pierrefonds, where a considerable number of racialized tenants live. Residents involved in the groups will be invited to participate in the creation of a Municipal Tenants’ Rights Committee. The Committee will develop policy recommendations aimed at resolving housing-related issues identified by tenants during meetings of local working groups, but also during door-to-door visits, phone calls and online surveys. The issues will also be identified during meetings of the Municipal Tenants’ Rights Committee. This project is innovative in that it will allow the development of Tenant Working Groups in Montreal, in which the involvement of racialized tenants, will allow them to actively participate in the identification of their housing problems. Above all, their participation will lead to collectively develop policy recommendations and disseminate them within their communities as well as to policy makers.

Context

ACORN’s outreach model, using door-to-door and promoting tenant involvement through working groups, is unique and has proven its effectiveness through the identification of fundamental issues that tenants face on a regular basis. Collective work enables solutions to be put in place and guarantees a deep commitment from the latter. This model is particularly fruitful for highlighting the issues affecting the most vulnerable tenants and for developing their leadership in establishing solutions.

Partners

Maytee Foundation

Canadian Union of Public Employees

* Special thanks to Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf for the photograph of the street art and to the artists who participated in the creation of the collective street art during events in support for Black Lives Matter. The artworks are not linked to the Acorn project directly, but the generosity of the artists is greatly appreciated.