Closure of an RPA in Montreal | Dozens of seniors facing the unknown

A portion of the Le Tournesol residence in Montreal, which can accommodate up to 209 residents, will close its doors next September, we have learned The Press. The occupants of one of the establishment’s two towers were informed last week that around a hundred units will be converted into rental apartments.

“It’s quite a shock. I have lived here for 16 years. My 96 year old sister lives on the same floor as me. We don’t yet know what we’re going to do,” says Georgette Desjardins, met by The Press at the Le Tournesol residence, Thursday.

The 88-year-old lady began looking at other seniors’ residences (RPA) in the Ahuntsic district, where the Le Tournesol residence is located, to find rehousing. But the costs are high. “We could stay here and have simple rental accommodation. But at our ages, we may need services…” says M^me Gardens. Despite this great upheaval, she is not angry with the owner of the building, the company Les Immeubles Howard Szalavetz.

Joined by The Pressthe lawyer for Immeubles Howard Szalavetz M^e James Miller confirms that several units have been vacant since the pandemic at the Le Tournesol residence. “And recently the costs have increased a lot,” he says. Just for attendants, we’re talking about an increase of around 33%. If we passed all the cost increases on to tenants, they would not be able to pay.”

To be able to “continue to offer seniors’ residence services” at the Le Tournesol residence, the establishment will consolidate its activities in only one of the two RPA towers, explains M.^e Miller. But for him, it is clear that “the (RPA) model is broken”.

Epidemic of closures

The closure of the Le Tournesol residence joins several others that have occurred in recent months across the four corners of Quebec. A recent count of The Press showed that 77 RPAs had closed their doors in 2023 in Quebec, depriving seniors of 2,700 places.

Read the file “Seniors’ residences: the wave of evictions continues”

In Montreal alone, the RPA of the Botanical Garden announced last month its closure and the obligation for around a hundred residents to be rehoused. Manoir King-David, a 100-unit RPA in Côte-Saint-Luc, also announced its closure at the beginning of the year, Radio-Canada recently revealed.

At the end of January, the Minister responsible for Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, announced an allocation to pay for health services in certain seniors’ residences.

Read the article “Quebec will pay for health care”

This aid initially only targets small RPAs of 30 units or less welcoming customers with a serious loss of autonomy. “We chose the right model. But we will have to expand it,” argues the spokesperson for the Regroupement québécois des residences pour vins (RQRA), Hans Brouillette. According to him, this announcement, which is currently partial, “will not prevent the closures” of all RPAs. Mr. Brouillette affirms that with inflation and the shortage of personnel in the health network, costs are increasing considerably for RPAs. The RQRA advocates, among other things, for a “tax credit on healthcare payroll”.

Close monitoring

Immeubles Howard Szalavetz has owned the Le Tournesol residence since 1987, according to the Register of private residences for seniors in Quebec.

The establishment located in the Ahuntsic district has 169 residence spaces for seniors and 40 intermediate resource spaces. The services are divided into two towers. Only one of the two pavilions will close its doors. Intermediate resource services will be maintained.

In addition to owning several rental, industrial and commercial buildings in Montreal, Les Immeubles Howard Szalavetz also owns three other RPAs in the metropolis which total approximately 800 apartments for seniors. The objective is not to close them, assures M^e Miller.

Some Tournesol residents have already indicated their intention to move to one of the three other residences in the group.

At the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, we say we are “monitoring the situation closely”. “We ensure that each user who wishes to do so receives help to relocate in the same sector and in an environment that meets their needs,” indicates the CIUSSS, which adds that “weekly visits will be organized via a dedicated team in order to to ensure the maintenance and quality of the services offered by RPA, until its closure.”

While waiting to find a solution for accommodation, M^me Desjardins wonders: “The baby boomers are getting old. There have never been so many elderly people in Quebec. But there are plenty of empty homes here… Where are the old people? »