CALODI: A New Non-profit Offering Free Support and Resources for Pointe-Claire Tenants

The West Island Tenants’ Action Committee (Comité d’action des locataires de l’Ouest-de-l’Île in French, referred to by its acronym CALODI) is a new non-profit organization based in Pointe-Claire. The CALODI was formed in 2023 by the Table de Quartier Sud de l’Ouest-de-l’Île (TQSOI) and is the first organization in the West Island dedicated entirely to defending tenants’ rights. Its mission is to promote access to good quality housing and to improve the quality of life for West Island tenants.

The CALODI runs a free and confidential tenant support hotline, offers free educational workshops for tenants regarding their rights, and advocates on behalf of tenants’ issues at the municipal and provincial levels. It has also worked with groups of Pointe-Claire tenants to help them form tenants’ associations in their buildings to combat unfair landlord practices.

Although there is a common misperception that West Islanders are affluent homeowners, this is far from the reality. In Pointe-Claire, 30.7% of households are tenant households, 43.2% of which live in unaffordable housing, meaning that they spend more than 30% of their monthly income on rent. As rents continue to skyrocket throughout the West Island and salaries remain relatively stagnant, many tenants are struggling to put food on the table and afford other basic necessities. Furthermore, many tenants — particularly those in situations of vulnerability, such as seniors and recent immigrants — are being forced out of their housing through both legal and illegal means. Since 2017, we have seen the number of repossession cases more than triple throughout the West Island.

The aim of the CALODI is to equip tenants with the knowledge, resources, and support necessary to protect and defend their rights against abuses from landlords. The reality is that there are many protections in place for tenants in Quebec, but the burden often falls on tenants to inform themselves of their rights and enforce them. For example, tenants have a right to refuse an unfair rent increase or a repossession, but many are simply not aware of this or too afraid to assert their rights for fear of being evicted or mistreated. The CALODI also aims to advocate for and implement additional protections for tenants, including a mandatory rent registry and a provincial rent freeze to combat the growing housing crisis.

In order to raise awareness and educate tenants on their rights, the CALODI will be offering a series of information sessions on “Repossessions and Evictions” in November 2024. An in-person session will be held at the Pointe-Claire Library on Douglas-Shand on November 19th from 7 to 8 pm. This session will be held in English, but there will be other sessions offered in French and online - more information can be found on their website.

Their new website, www.calodi.info, was launched in October 2024 and contains a wealth of information and resources for tenants, including informational guides, formal notice templates, FAQs, and housing search tools. You can also visit their website to stay up-to-date on upcoming events, sign up for their monthly newsletter, or become a member of the CALODI, which is a great way to get involved in your community and make your voice heard.

The CALODI’s tenant support service can be reached by calling 514-505-0840 extension 8 or by emailing info@calodi.info. If you are a tenant in Pointe-Claire, reach out to the CALODI today to learn about your rights and receive the support you need!