{"id":59354,"date":"2023-06-13T10:07:50","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T14:07:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/?p=59354"},"modified":"2023-08-09T13:30:48","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T17:30:48","slug":"the-invisible-cost-of-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/blog\/the-invisible-cost-of-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"The invisible cost of housing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Marie\u2019s story could be anyone\u2019s. She was a 41-year-old mother of three when she started her own business. What she didn\u2019t know was that a stroke would bring everything crashing down. Marie didn\u2019t have any insurance. Soon after, she went through a breakup and found herself on her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In survival mode<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Today, more than 20 years after her stroke, Marie is still trying to get back on her feet. Every month, she tightens her belt and tries to find ways to cut her expenses while prices keep going up. \u201cMy monthly income is $1,295,\u201d she says. \u201cMy rent is $795 a month. If you do the math, I spend over 60% of my income on rent.\u202fAfter paying for my medication, cellphone plan and other monthly expenses, I\u2019m left with about $50 a week for groceries.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cMy rent is $795 a month. If you do the math, I spend over 60% of my income on rent.\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n
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When asked how she feels, Marie replies: \u201cLike a little dog swimming hard, trying to keep her nose above water, just before she sinks.\u201d Fortunately, there are some lifelines in the turbulent waters of her daily existence. One of them is the Association coop\u00e9rative d\u2019\u00e9conomie familiale (ACEF) Rive-Sud, a community agency that helps people manage with their income, find solutions to their debts and know their rights. ACEF counsellor Vicky Parashuk works with Marie. She goes over Marie\u2019s budget every month and helps her manage her finances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marie would like to be able to go to the movies and buy presents for her beloved grandchildren, but for now her hope is to find affordable housing, such as a co-op or social housing, just so she can breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Quebec, 41% of respondents who spend more than 50% of their income on housing experience food insecurity according to the<\/strong>\u00a0Financial Anxiety Index created by Centraide of Greater Montreal.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"S\u00e9parateur](\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Separateur_corpo_1-1.png\")
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