In total, 600 affordable student housing units have been built or are under construction in Montreal, Quebec and Trois-Rivières. By 2027, the goal is to accommodate 3,000 students. Behind this achievement: UTILE, a social economy company co-founded in 2013 and managed by Laurent Levesque.
Is there a student housing crisis? For Laurent Levesque, there are above all solutions, which involve, as he demonstrates with UTILE, through the construction of identical and standard housing (smaller than social housing) and through volume, which is likely to attract builders. Accommodation is offered as a priority to students in need.
UTILE can certainly count on strong government subsidies, but it did not just wait for state aid. The non-profit organization knocked on several doors and notably had the idea of involving student associations.
All this with a double aim: firstly to allow young people to study without bleeding themselves dry, while building “housing which escapes the logic of speculation”, notes Mr. Levesque, who hopes to make his model explode everywhere in Quebec.
USEFUL is becoming more and more well-known. This year he rose to 92e rank in the list of Report on Business (The Globe and Mail) of the 100 fastest growing companies in Canada.
The latest to emerge is L’Ardoise, in Quebec. “Less than two years passed between the granting of the provincial subsidy for L’Ardoise and the move in of our tenants. Considering the importance of the student housing needs in Quebec, it was essential for us and our partners that this building be delivered quickly. »
Laurent Levesque also launched the Building Affordability Laboratory, a center of expertise (think tank) in affordable housing. “That’s really boring,” he says, laughing. We are seeking to achieve regulatory innovation, that is to say, “tinkering” with municipal regulations, with the aim, once again, of maximizing opportunities to develop non-profit housing projects. »
As flat as necessary.
Saying he is passionate about building “just and sustainable living environments as much as collective entrepreneurship,” Laurent Levesque is also president of the Chantier de l’entreprises sociale and sits on several boards of directors relating to social development.
Is the social economy his life project? How much time does he plan to devote to these questions? He ignores it. “I feel useful, so I’m not in a rush to do anything else.” »
“When a need is established, I feel concerned. We must not just complain, we must find solutions to improve society. »
Who is Laurent Levesque?
Born in Montreal in 1988
Graduate in urban planning and social innovation management
Co-founder and general director of UTILE, a social economy company specializing in the construction of student housing