Testimonial from a CAAP Montérégie advisor
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Written by Jocelyne Raymond, CAAP Montérégie advisor
But, you might ask, isn’t it CAAP’s job to help us by accompanying us every step of the way in exercising our rights?
Absolutely! But what can CAAP advisors do without a minimum commitment on your part? Very little.
It goes without saying that you must first contact us and tell us about your problem. If your residence has a living environment committee, you can call on its services and advice. You may find that you’re not the first person in the same situation. By joining forces with other residents, you’ll be able to exercise your rights collectively in certain cases provided for by law. What’s more, joining forces could have a definite impact in simple departure negotiations with the person in charge of the residence. That’s right! Once again, there’s strength in numbers, even for seniors.
But perhaps you’re afraid of embarking on a long and tedious process that requires energy you no longer have? Or are you already anticipating tense or less harmonious relations with the residence’s management and staff? Not to mention possible retaliatory measures that could disrupt your peace of mind.
Rest assured that CAAP advisors are sensitive to your concerns and worries, and will listen to you and support you when your rights are not respected. To this end, they have a number of legal levers at their disposal, to name but the most important:
- the mandate granted to them by the Société d’Habitation du Québec, which enables them to carry out their information and support functions all the way to the Tribunal administratif du logement, if required;
- the provisions of the Civil Code of Québec, which also apply to the leases of PSR residents and protect them from eviction, harassment and unreasonable rent increases, among other things;
- the Act respecting the Tribunal administratif du logement, which provides for measures to facilitate recourse to this tribunal and, in particular, collective applications, notably in cases where services have been withdrawn without right;
- the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, which stipulates that all elderly people have the right to be protected against any form of exploitation or violation of their dignity.
CAAP counsellors have all these tools at their disposal, and use them on a daily basis to help many seniors with leasehold problems. Many are weakened by illness, or simply by old age. For those who are, we assure them that they don’t have to do the impossible.
But if you’re concerned about your rights and have a little energy left over to help us defend them, contact us!
