Gatineau, Que., faces a rental market squeeze partly due to transplants from Ottawa

Finding an apartment in Gatineau, Que., could prove very difficult as the vacancy rate has plummeted, rental costs are rising, and there is increased competition from residents moving across the Ottawa River, data shows.

An annual Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) report on the rental market, which was released earlier this week, showedthe vacancy rate inGatineau last year was just 1.1 per centfor purpose-built rental units.

That is less than a third of Ottawa's 3.4 per cent and it'sdown from the 1.6 per cent Gatineau reported in 2020. The national average for markets with a population of at least 100,000 sat at 3.1 per cent in 2021.

While the average rent last year for a two-bedroom apartment in Gatineau was considerably lower than that of Ottawa's $1,035 compared to Ottawa's $1,550 the report determined it was still an increase of 6.4 per cent from 2020.

That means 2021brought Gatineau itshighest year-over-year increase in rent since CMHC started publishing its report in 1990.

Residents leaving Ottawa

Lukas Jasmin-Tucci, a senior analyst with CMHC who focused on the Ottawa-Gatineau market for the report, said Gatineau saw a faster growth in new residents than Ottawa, which was boosted by people hopping across the Ottawa River.

"We have a phenomenon where we have an acceleration of migration from the city ofOttawa towards Gatineau," said Jasmin-Tucci. "This puts additional pressure on the market of Gatineau in general, but also on the rental market in particular."

The CMHC report cites provincial data that shows about 16,500 people moved from Ontario to Quebec between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

"Typically, a significant share of these households settle in the Gatineau area, with the majority coming from Ottawa," the report states.

Concern for affordable units

The pandemic-inspired trend of working from home has likely factored in more people moving out of Ottawa to western Quebec,Jasmin-Tuccisaid.

Franois Roy, co-ordinator of the Outaouais tenant advocacy and support group Logemen'occupe, says the rental market conditions in Gatineau are putting the squeeze on existing tenants, especially lower-income residents.

He told Radio-Canada in French: "We're often getting calls from renters who are feeling strong pressure from landlords to leave their apartment, or are facing a rent increase far above what's recommended by [Quebec's administrative housing tribunal]."

Roy wants the federal government to work with the Quebec government to create more affordable housing to address the current rental market.