Magdalen Islands tourism leads to homelessness for some and authorities are trying to help

Quebec's Magdalen Islands may be a summertime paradise for tourists looking to relax on the long sandy beaches, but that seasonal popularity forces some locals into homelessness every year.

And the pandemic has made matters worse, authorities there say. With no vacancies and very few apartment buildings to speak of, renters find themselves in short-term leases in the off-season.

When summer rolls in, those short-term renters are forced out to make way for tourists who pay a premium price to vacation on the archipelago.

The Canadian Red Cross, volunteers and a number of local partners are now managing a homeless shelter in a space over an old arena on Havre-aux-Maisons island.

Even though it isn't high season yet, "there is already someone lodging there," said Danielle Hubert, interim director general of the Magdalen Islands municipality.

The place can accommodate about 20 people, and should there be a need, it could be expanded. 

The shelter, which  provides sleeping cots, a kitchen and a common area along with bathrooms and showers, will be open until Sept. 15.

The municipality is supporting the initiative, investing $25,000, though it is limited only to those who are residents of the islands.

Those wishing to stay in the shelter should contact the CSLC of Cap-aux-Meules to find out if they are eligible. It is a confidential process aimed at preserving people's dignity, the local health authority says.

"Is this ideal? Between you and me, no. Is it better than being on the street? Between you and me, yes," said Magdalen Islands Mayor Jonathan Lapierre.

Lapierre says challenges related to housing cannot be fixed in the short term and the problem is complex.

Meanwhile, municipal officials are working to encourage homeowners to allow tenants to sign year-long leases rather than staying only for the off-season.

A bylaw was passed recently to invest $100,000 in a project to reward landlords for keeping tenants year round. For not evicting people in the summer, "people can get between $1,000 and $ 5,000 on an annual basis," said Lapierre. 

A housing committee has also been formed to study the issue and look for further solutions.

"The housing committee will also have the mandate to support the municipal team in the reflections surrounding the development of a housing strategy and an action plan with short- and long term-proposals, which will be tabled in 2022," said Grosse-Île Mayor Rose Elmonde Clarke.

The committee is working to approach the problem from all angles, officials say.

"We are determined to bring concrete solutions for housing on the islands," said Lapierre.

MNA Joël Arseneau has been sounding the alarm about the situation for some time, saying last month that at least 20 families reached out to him for help.

"There is definitely an emergency situation for a certain number of people who are basically stuck," he said. 

The vacancy rate on the islands is zero, meaning there's no place for people to go once they are, in accordance with their temporary lease agreement, forced to clear out for the summer.

Arseneau said he is working on ways of getting more apartment complexes and housing built.

But André St-Onge, who works with the social development network in the region, says that could take years.

He has been calling for "solidarity of the community of the islands, to offer room, offer a space where people can put a trailer if they find one," he said.

He said even offering a basement living space would be helpful.