A former tenant was hoping to be registered again on the eligibility lists of the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM), for a subsidized dwelling. The OMHM had imposed her a penalty of five (5) years because she had left her previous low rent dwelling without prior written notice, and with an outstanding balance. Although the OMHM’s tenant guide provides for a period of ineligibility of five (5) years, in such instances, the applicable regulations leave room to more flexibility.

 

Considering the specific circumstances of this file, namely the fact that the abandonment occurred due to problems of violence in the residential complex where this family used to live and the fact that the plaintiff is the mother of nine (9) children, many of which require regular follow-ups in a social pediatric center, we recommended to the OMHM to reduce this penalty in order for the plaintiff to be allowed to register on the waiting lists as soon as she pays her debt.

 

After many discussions, the OMHM Director accepted our approach and undertook to join his recommendation to ours and to ask the OMHM selection committee, which decides on the eligibility of requests, to authorize the re-inscription of this mother on the OMHM lists. As soon as our complainant pays her debt, she may apply for low rent housing.

 

In the end, the penalty that will have been imposed will be of approximately three (3) years. Moreover, the citizen signed a document in which she recognizes the fundamental obligations of tenants and undertakes to respect them in the future.

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