Montreal comedians turn to laughter to support tenant rights

A March 10 comedy show at Co-op Bar Milton Park will raise money for Montreal tenant rights groups.

A comedy show in Montreal next week is raising money for local groups that advocate for tenants’ rights.

Comedians Sadie Moland and Sarah Warren said that together they will help solve the housing crisis.

The cause is personal for Moland. A fire forced her and her neighbours out of their Verdun apartment building in 2024. They still haven’t returned.

“Our landlord has since delayed all the work, has used different intimidation tactics to essentially try to stop us from returning to that building so that he can get new tenants and raise the rent an insane amount,” Moland explained.

Moland says that experience showed her how much renters rely on community support.

“They’re helping people that are at their most vulnerable, that don’t have a lot of financial resources,” she says.

Tenants’ advocate Lyn O’Donnell says the support is needed.

“And under the CAQ, I mean, you ask any community organization and they’re like it’s always in peril our funding,” O’Donnell says.

The province’s housing tribunal, the Tribunal administratif du logement, is recommending a base rent increase of 3.1 per cent this year.

That’s down from last year’s 5.9 per cent — the highest in three decades. The government says the number is based on a simplified calculation.

But O’Donnell says for tenants, the situation is not so simple.

“Every year the cases get more and more complex. More and more violent. And tenants are more and more in distress,” she said.

For the comedians behind the show, the night is about more than just laughs. It’s about connection and understanding.

“So many people struggle with the housing crisis. Those are very real things that a lot of people deal with,” comedian Sarah Warren said.

Moland says even in the midst of a difficult situation, there’s power in sharing a laugh.

“Especially when you’re dealing with predatory landlords, people who are greedy, that just want money. It’s like the one thing that you have that they won’t be able to pay for is just like this sort of joy.”

The comedy show is on March 10 at Co-op Bar Milton Park in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.