It’s undeniable: we are facing an unprecedented housing crisis. It is happening at the very time of a marked slowdown in housing starts caused by inflation and a spectacular rise in interest rates in a very short time.
This housing crisis affects all of society: the most vulnerable, the immigrants we are trying to attract in order to counter the labor shortage, families and our youth, unable to cope with the high costs of housing or raise the necessary down payment for a purchase that current mortgage rates make less and less likely. In short, Quebec can no longer put a roof over the heads of an incalculable number of its fellow citizens.
We have said it over and over again: there is an urgent need to speed up construction, particularly in major centres, close to existing or developing public transport facilities.
Density is one of the most obvious ways to try to meet housing needs and protect affordability.
Beyond the complexity of the project approval processes and everything we could name that affects housing starts to the point of preventing the realization of this intelligent density, there is an elephant in the room that we does not dare to address: the phenomenon of “not in my backyard”.
Today, many citizens declare themselves in favor of density. Everyone is indignant about the housing crisis, except… when projects that can counter it are called to be built in their backyard. There, it’s a whole different story!
Individual interest takes precedence over collective interest. And in the midst of crises of all kinds that arise, public office holders now have the responsibility to decide between the two.
It is important to recognize the urgent need to act, to state a very clear desire to densify, to produce new housing units and to seize development opportunities, particularly in areas served by public transport.
The idea is not to build just anything, quite the contrary. If we focus on how to make density acceptable rather than refusing it outright, we put ourselves in solution mode rather than persisting in a status quo that only serves the interests of a minority. It is no longer a question of determining IF new housing should be created, but of HOW.
Quebec and its municipalities declare housing as a priority. Everyone should act accordingly. We all have a role to play. Including private enterprise.
A study published by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal indicates that 23,100 new dwellings must be built there each year to meet the needs of the population. This is nearly double the historical annual production for the greater metropolitan area. What are the forecasts of the Government of Quebec and the municipalities? What are the short, medium and long-term vision and plans for housing the Quebecers and newcomers we want to welcome? Elected officials must set ambitious targets and deploy a mechanism to monitor their achievement. In addition, precise objectives must be established along with coherent planning in terms of legislation, infrastructure, services to the population and financing.
Municipalities, for their part, must demonstrate a constant determination to authorize large-scale projects that promote density in urban areas or near areas dedicated to public transportation, in addition to countering the “not in my backyard” phenomenon. Of course, consultation remains essential, but it must stop being a tool that serves the interests of a few individuals to the detriment of the collective good.
On the other hand, developers have the responsibility to take into account the context, the reality of the environment and the stakes of the stakeholders while remaining attentive, collaborating with openness and accepting certain compromises. Consultation cannot be a tool whose only usefulness is to oppose or to demand that a project alone meet all the needs not met by the various levels of government: homelessness, drug addiction, art and culture, education, infrastructure, etc.
It is possible to achieve this balance between citizens, cities and developers. There are examples where the parties involved have chosen to work together rather than deal with issues in a sequential and siled fashion. A climate of trust must be established, intentions, constraints and apprehensions must be shared. You have to give yourself space to argue, evaluate options, improve the project and make choices that reflect a common vision.
I am well aware that the “not in my backyard” phenomenon remains a sensitive subject. Especially when it’s a developer who approaches it. But I think we have to have the courage to face up to this issue if we want to collectively find viable solutions. And this, for the benefit of the greatest number.