Carla White pays $400 rent for her very old apartment on Ste-Catherine Street East in front of Emilie-Gamelin Park, where she’s lived for 11 years.
However, in 2019, she received a notice telling her to vacate.
The apartment is located above the old DaGiovanni restaurant across from Berri Metro just west of Montreal’s Village.
The building is now boarded up and set for demolition to build a 16-storey modern apartment complex.
The notice to vacate triggered a five-year legal fight that prevented Mondev, a major developer, from starting the project.
White would not budge or agree to the terms offered by the company to move out.
She argued that she’d never be able to find another apartment at the same price.
As compensation, White demanded an apartment in the new complex, and a cash settlement.
Her lawyer, however, was eventually able to negotiate a deal.
“She’s very relieved because she was facing eviction over the last five years,” said Manuel Johnson, who works for a firm specialized in helping social causes.
Mondev will provide White with a high-quality dwelling in one of their nearby projects, so she will be able to remain in the neighbourhood.
She will also pay a discounted rent.
White’s lawyer says the settlement is not excessive and that his client had no choice but to fight because current laws only provide the bare minimum.
A developer can force out tenants when a building is slated for demolition and only required to pay the equivalent of three months rent and moving expenses.
Johnson blames the city for not imposing tougher rules on developers before issuing demolition permits, to better protect tenants.
“It’s unthinkable that somebody should face homelessness to make place for development,” he said. “The law should be changed to require rehousing of displaced tenants at equal or improved conditions.”
Representatives from the developers did not respond to CTV News requests for comments.
For White, the agreement at least gives her the reassurance that she won’t find herself with nowhere to go.
