APCHQ Convention: CORPIQ greets Quebec’s new Housing Minister
On the sidelines of the APCHQ’s 2026 Convention, CORPIQ Executive Director Nathalie Mercier and Board Vice-President Jean-François Proulx had the opportunity to greet Elsie Lefebvre, Quebec’s new Minister responsible for Housing.
The APCHQ’s 2026 Convention, held on October 29 and 30, brought together a large part of Quebec’s housing community. We took the opportunity to congratulate the minister on her appointment to the Cabinet, unveiled on October 21 by Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
With a minority government, housing solutions will have to be built collaboratively. Several of the government’s early priorities also align with the issues we have been championing since the summer.
Reducing red tape
Among its priorities for the first 100 days, the government is creating a Secretariat for government efficiency and regulatory relief, tasked with reviewing programs and regulations line by line. This directly echoes our requests: today, under the R-20 Act, renovating a rental unit costs 30% to 50% more, and assistance programs are often poorly suited to owners of small buildings.
Preserving and renovating the existing stock
Energy-efficient renovation is also among the government’s priorities. It is a major issue for Quebec’s rental stock: nearly three out of four rental buildings were built before 1990. The existing stock remains the most affordable housing, and preserving it is a genuine affordability policy. That is why we are proposing, among other things, a tax credit for rental renovations and an overhaul of assistance programs.
Homelessness: landlords are often the first to see it
The Premier has made the fight against homelessness a personal priority, with the goal of cutting it in half within four years and a major summit bringing together stakeholders. We welcome this commitment.
The private rental stock cannot replace the social safety net, but landlords are often the first to see a situation deteriorate: late rent, a tenant becoming isolated, a unit falling into disrepair. We are therefore proposing a one-stop prevention service where landlords could report a worrying situation early, triggering social mediation and support from community organizations before things reach a breaking point. We have asked to take part in the announced summit to present this proposal.
Landlords as partners
We look forward to working with the minister and all elected officials in the coming months so that local landlords are recognized as partners in housing solutions.
