The significant increase in delays in issuing building permits in Montreal is unacceptable, Valérie Plante said on Tuesday.
The Press revealed this morning that the delays in obtaining a new construction permit have more than doubled in downtown and other boroughs since 2019.
“It’s not satisfactory, it’s unacceptable. I cannot accept as mayor of Ville-Marie, nor as mayor of Montreal, deadlines like these,” said Valérie Plante during a press conference. “It won’t stay like this. We know we are capable of doing better than that. »
On average, in 2023, the Ville-Marie district took 18 months to authorize new construction, compared to 7 months before the pandemic. The wait is even longer in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: more than 20 months on average last year. In both cases, these delays are largely attributable to municipal authorities, and not to the requesters, indicates the table prepared by Montreal and released as part of a request for access to information.
The Plante administration also announced that it would set a target deadline of 120 days for its districts to issue the simplest construction permits.
This measure, which concerns projects not requiring a derogation, aims to accelerate the development of new projects.
“Our administration continues to push the limits of the powers and means available to the City to the maximum to successfully house more Montrealers,” said Valérie Plante. “We are thus responding to a demand from developers, both private and community, on whom we are counting to improve the housing supply in the metropolis. »
Mme Plante argued that she did not want to make it a firm deadline at the end of which the permit is deemed issued. “You know the logic of the districts, which are autonomous,” she said. “We have to do things correctly. I think today we are showing a firm will. »