{"id":45542,"date":"2022-06-20T11:33:48","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T15:33:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/?p=45542"},"modified":"2022-11-11T14:28:10","modified_gmt":"2022-11-11T19:28:10","slug":"five-questions-for-an-acef-director-micheline-cote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/blog\/five-questions-for-an-acef-director-micheline-cote\/","title":{"rendered":"Five questions for an ACEF Director: Micheline C\u00f4t\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A person with passion for the community sector, Micheline C\u00f4t\u00e9 is a founder of the ACEF LAVAL,<\/a> an agency she has been leading for over 25 years.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, she shares the agency\u2019s current concerns and challenges, which obviously have been exacerbated by inflation and the housing crisis.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dedicated teams at the ACEF LAVAL provide concrete solutions to help people resolve their budget, credit, debt and housing issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over the past two years, given the health crisis and now inflation, how has the clientele served by your agency changed? <\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The face of our clients hasn\u2019t really changed over the course of the health crisis. Things were really hard when the pandemic started because people were very emotional and worried. We think this may be a future legacy of the pandemic, as we get more calls from people at risk of homelessness or people who have lost their jobs or even their apartments or homes due to a divorce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for inflation, we haven\u2019t yet seen the impact on clients. The ACEF feels the effects of an economic crisis later on when people are struggling or more in debt. People often try to make ends meet by using their credit cards until they\u2019re maxed out. Since the start of the inflation period, we\u2019ve had more requests for the \u201cBudget\u201d and \u201cEating Well at a Low Cost\u201d workshops that we give at Laval agencies and schools.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe ACEF feels the effects of an economic crisis later on when people are struggling or more in debt.\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Inflation in Canada reached a record high of 6.8% in April. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the latest Statistics Canada survey,1<\/sup> 85% of the poorest Canadians report that rising prices have \u201csomewhat\u201d or \u201cgreatly\u201d affected their ability to cover their expenses. 
 
Also, 24% of Canadians report \u201cdelaying the purchase of a home or moving into a new rental.\u201d 
 
The report also found that 27% of people \u201coften or sometimes had to borrow money to cover their day-to-day expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Is the housing crisis impacting the requests you get?\u202f<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, in a big way! Since 2019, requests from tenants for help with problems nearly tripled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The housing crisis goes far beyond the lack of housing; it has opened the door to abuse from some landlords, who resort to all sorts of tactics to quickly profit from their investment (repossession, renovation, abusive rent increases, harassment, illegal housing, etc.). We are seeing a shift in values, as housing is no longer seen as an essential service but as a consumer good. Rents are subject to the laws of supply and demand, and prices are set according to a property\u2019s market value.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, tenants have lost their bargaining power and are increasingly victims of illegal schemes. If tenants resist and assert their rights, it\u2019s not uncommon for them to face harassment or blackmail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People are having a very hard time finding housing. Rents are always increasing.  We encourage people to try to reach an agreement with their landlord so that they can stay in their apartment. A new phenomenon is that new landlords aren\u2019t following the rules and try to increase rents abusively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe are seeing a shift in values, as housing is no longer seen as an essential service but as a consumer good.\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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H<\/strong><\/strong>ow do you recommend that people manage their budgets to cope with inflation?\u202f<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

More planning. Prioritize essential expenses, such as housing, groceries, and transportation. Keep track of your expenses to get actual information about how much you spend. Plan your budget every month by forecasting your income and expenses and then recording your actual expenses. You can get help from an ACEF to do this!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What services does an ACEF offer?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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