Faced with the housing crisis affecting many Montrealers, the Trudeau government confirmed on Tuesday an investment of $59 million for the construction of 672 new affordable housing units and the renovation of 1,280 other units in the metropolis as well as in indigenous communities in Quebec.
Minister of National Revenue Marie-Claude Bibeau made the announcement at Place Griffintown, where land was recently acquired by community organizations to build 140 social housing units. “This investment will allow nearly 2,000 households to have secure housing and benefit from the stability of their home. More people will have the chance to make a fresh start,” said Ms.me Bibeau.
The government assistance will allow this housing complex to be equipped with a cross-ventilation system, high airtightness and even a micro-forest. The goal is to adopt passive measures to improve the building’s energy efficiency. “It requires additional funding, but this cost is necessary to guarantee the sustainability of the building. The temperature in Montreal will increase by 2 to 3 degrees by 2050. This type of design should, in my opinion, be in all projects,” explained Daniel Pearl, associate architect at l’Oeuf, responsible for the construction of the real estate project.
The envelope provided by Ottawa will allow several housing construction projects to see the light of day, assured Minister Bibeau. Among them is the conversion of the Sisters of Sainte-Anne house in Lachine into a real estate complex of 270 social housing units, as well as the renovation of buildings for one of the Loge-Accès projects in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
“Today, we would like to highlight the contribution of the federal government and the various tools developed as part of the National Housing Strategy. Without these initiatives, these projects would not have been able to be carried out to significantly improve the quality of life of Montreal tenants,” said Yann Omer-Kassin, employee representative of Bâtir son quartier, a social economy enterprise dedicated to carrying out community and social real estate projects, which is participating in the construction project, on Tuesday morning.
An extended aid program
The financial assistance announced Tuesday is part of the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). This program provides low-interest financing, forgivable loans or contributions to build or renovate affordable and community housing. The AHF is one of the key programs delivered under the National Housing Strategy (NHS).
This strategy aims to prioritize housing for various vulnerable populations such as people fleeing domestic violence, seniors, Indigenous communities, people with disabilities or homelessness, people with mental health or addiction issues, and racialized groups. Launched in 2017 and originally planned for 10 years, the plan has been extended to 2031-2032.
As of March 31, 2024, the 50.97 billion invested (out of 82) of the Strategy have enabled the construction of 146,408 new housing units and the construction of 354,686 community housing units.