COVID-19 pandemic

Important to follow instructions

To counter the COVID-19 pandemic, the OMHM is following the directives of the Public Health Department and the government and invites its tenants and employees to follow them carefully.

  • Like the rest of the population, our employees are at risk of being contaminated with COVID-19. In order to comply with the recommendations made by the authorities, the OMHM has to operate with reduced staff, causing a slowdown in services.

  • The community halls have been open since June 22, but can only accommodate a reduced number of people.

    • We ask the collaboration of all the tenants to allow a rotation of people who wish to go to the community hall to refresh themselves.

    • A maximum number of people can be gathered at the same time in the community halls. It is therefore important to respect the maximum number entered at the entrance of each room.

    • People who go to the community hall must wash their hands before entering, wear a face covering as much as possible, respect the physical distance of 2 meters, do not share objects and clean their place when leaving. 

    • Access to community rooms is prohibited for anyone with symptoms similar to those of COVID-19.

  • Our offices located at 2247, rue Delisle, 255, rue Crémazie Est and 3330, boul. de L'Assomption, are open. However, we invite tenants to use the telephone. For questions or any other request from tenants, we invite them to contact the call center at 514-872-6646.
  • Since June 22, visits are authorized in our HLM buildings. However, the distancing instructions must be applied at all times. It is also important to remember that the maximum number of people who can gather at the same time in the same accommodation is 6.
  • Our offices located at 2247, rue Delisle, 255, rue Crémazie Est and 3330, boul. de l’Assomption, are closed until further notice. For questions or any other request from tenants, we invite them to contact the Call center at 514-872-6646.
  • All meetings or gatherings are prohibited, which includes meetings between tenants, between tenants and employees, social activities, evacuation exercises, etc.

Our goal is to make sure that our tenants and employees stay healthy. We therefore take the necessary measures to allow us to resume the normal course of our activities as soon as it is appropriate to do so.

Posters on basic protective measures available in 14 other languages.

Priority services

Since March 23, the OMHM has been on the list of priority services and activities of the Government of Quebec in the category Providers of services for the underprivileged.

An emergency measures coordination committee has been set up to ensure the continuity of essential services and make sure our actions are aligned with government measures. The work of this committee is framed by the Special Intervention Plan - Pandemic of the Emergency Measures Plan of the OMHM.

Upkeep of essential activities

While navigating these exceptional circumstances, the OMHM maintains essential services in its buildings, namely: waste and recycling management, maintenance of common areas, extermination treatments and urgent repairs. However, any intervention or repair deemed non-urgent will not be carried out until further notice.

Since March 16, various measures and interventions affecting, for example, maintenance (higher disinfection frequency for objects and common areas in buildings) and management of living environments (closure of common rooms and public restrooms) have been implemented. Other measures are added over the days to adjust to government directives.

The OMHM maintains the following services:

  • Client relations
  • Issuing payments to suppliers
  • Collection of rents
  • Processing payment agreements
  • Monthly payment of rent supplements to organizations having signed agreements with the OMHM
  • Delivery of apartments allocated to date
  • Urgent work in apartments or buildings
  • Board of directors’ meetings as necessary (by telephone or conference call)
  • Availability of a person in authority (a director or any other designated person)
  • Building maintenance, including regular sanitary activities and extermination treatments
  • Pest control

Actions and adjustments related to the pandemic

Since mid-March, the OMHM has made numerous adjustments to its activities in order to continue to offer essential services and to meet the requirements related to the pandemic.

  • OMHM employees have increased the frequency of disinfection of sensitive surfaces in our living environments.
  • With dining rooms closed, the OMHM is now delivering meals to our residents’ doors in the ENHARMONIE residences (photo), at Manoir Anjou and Manoir Charles Dutaud.

  • During the week of March 30, around 60 OMHM employees called seniors aged 70 and over living in low-rent housing. The aim was to reassure them, comfort them, inform them about protective measures as well as to check on their health and safety in the face of the current crisis. The goal was also to intervene if necessary or to refer tenants to various resources offering support. The approximately 4,000 tenants aged 60 to 69 were next on the call list. Follow-ups are done with tenants who have been identified as most vulnerable.

  • In order to allow the tenants of the 132 low-rent high-rise buildings for the elderly to do their laundry without having to go out to fetch quarters, employees took turns distributing rolls of $10 worth of quarters to the approximately 10,500 tenants of these homes.

  • The Call Center, which usually receives more than 500 calls a day, has had to reinvent the way it works, as call attendants now respond to requests from tenants from their homes.

  • Many other employees have started to work from home. To set them up efficiently, the Information Technology and Telecommunications Department has worked hard to make computers, applications and other equipment available to them.

  • Dozens of employees have been asked to take on tasks outside of their usual responsibilities in order to lend a hand to colleagues providing essential services.

  • Employees in the Purchasing Department have worked hard and done a great amount of research to get hold of safety equipment and cleaning and disinfecting products, all of which have been in short supply in recent times.

  • OMHM employees have joined forces with various organizations and community partners to provide residents with food or groceries.

  • The Human Resources Department has implemented new occupational health and safety protocols.

  • The OMHM has increased its interactions with the Montreal Regional Public Health Department to ensure that best practices are in place, both for tenants and employees.

  • The OMHM has implemented new methods of rent payment for tenants who usually pay cash.

  • A comprehensive communications campaign, including posters and telephone messages for tenants as well as publications on the OMHM's Internet and intranet sites is under way to ensure that tenants, employees and partners have a common understanding of the issues related to the pandemic.

These are only some of the adjustments that the OMHM has put in place in recent weeks to deal with the situation.

Available resources

COVID-19 can cause all kinds of reactions. The current pandemic, with its rules in place and the containment required by the government, constitutes a particular and unusual reality which can affect people not only physically, but also psychologically.

Due to this situation, many people will experience stress, anxiety and depression. Several resources are available to help according to your needs. Here are some useful links:

If you are experiencing stress, anxiety or depression, information and resources can be found on this Québec government web page.

Protecting your well-being in the COVID-19 pandemic: This Web page offers various ways that can improve your emotional and psychosocial well-being. 

Information, tips and resources are also available on the Facebook page of CRIC Centre Sud.

Many answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 are found on this Québec government web page.

Pets: As a last resort, if you need to be hospitalized and can’t find anyone to take care of your animal, contact the Montreal SPCA at 514 735-2711.

Do you have to move soon?

Consult document COVID-19: Guide to good health practices to adopt during a move carried out by the Société d'habitation du Québec. This guide highlights the precautionary measures to take to avoid the risk of spreading the virus, before, during or after the move.

 

 

Support to tenants - Payment of rent


In this difficult period related to COVID-19, we wish to provide support to our tenants in low-rental housing who are experiencing payment difficulties, in order to avoid them an accumulation of rent arrears when things return to normal.

We therefore encourage tenants to contact our collection agents to make a payment agreement and discuss the various options. The tenant's rental agent can give the contact details of the person to contact based on the address of the accommodation.

Click here to learn more. (In french)

Direct debit: a simple and fast way to pay your rent

The direct debit program allows us, with the authorization of the tenant, to have the amount due debited from the tenant's bank account. A simple and effective way to peace of mind!

To benefit from the program, follow these simple steps:

  • Complete and sign the authorization form (see below).
  • Attach to the form an unsigned check, marked "cancelled", and write your tenant file number on the back.
  • Return it to the OMHM (address on form).

Want to cancel? No problem!

You or the OMHM can terminate the agreement at any time by written or verbal notice.

Formulaire en français   English Form

OMHM news related to the pandemic (In french)

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