To the attention of the Minister Responsible for Seniors and Health Delegates,
February 19, 2026, will stand as one alarm bell too many. The assessment from the Quebec Association of Private Seniors’ Residences (RQRA) is unequivocal: the Private Seniors’ Residence (RPA) model is “knee-deep in crisis.” While reports pile up on your desks, the reality on the ground is crumbling.
Since 2018, 700 residences have closed their doors. 700 living environments have disappeared. 700 entrepreneurs have thrown in the towel, exhausted from having to choose between the dignity of care and financial bankruptcy.
The Hypocrisy of the System
Mr. Minister, you rely on the private sector to fill the gaping deficiencies of the public network. You count on our infrastructure, our staff, and our dedication to house and care for the builders of Quebec. Yet, the latest RQRA-Léger survey confirms the unbearable truth: public financial support has become an insult to the reality of operating costs.
How can it be justified that a small operator is asked to provide increasingly complex healthcare while their operating margin is choked by inflation and ever-heavier government regulations?
Profitability… Human Above All Else
We often hear “profitability” spoken of as a dirty word. But profitability in an RPA is what allows us to pay a nurse fairly, offer nutritious meals, and maintain a safe building. Without profitability, there are no services. Without services, only displacement remains for our seniors.
Today, we ask you for:
- An immediate adjustment to funding: Subsidies and tax credits must reflect the reality of 2026 costs, not those of a decade ago.
- A moratorium on bureaucracy: Let operators care for their residents instead of filling out forms that help no one.
- A true partnership: Stop viewing RPAs as discount service providers, and instead treat them as essential partners in the continuum of care.
The Choice Is Yours
Every closure is a collective failure. Each disappearing residence brings the public network closer to an irreversible breaking point. Our seniors deserve better than the uncertainty of knowing whether their home will still exist next year.
Mr. Minister, it is time to pull “both feet out of the crisis” and move towards a sustainable solution. The time for surveys is over; it is time for action.
Alain St-Jean for RPaaVendre.com
On behalf of the owners, operators, and builders of Quebec.
Alain St-Jean
Licensed Real Estate Broker, DA – Residential and Commercial
Équipe Alain St-Jean inc.
📞 450-634-4774
📧 Alain@RPAaVendre.com