The City of Montreal announced on Wednesday that it will fund a construction project to build 54 prefabricated transitional housing units in the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough to serve as a shelter for women experiencing homelessness or at risk of being on the streets.
The parcel of land, located on Elmhurst Avenue, was transferred from the Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ) to the nonprofit organization Communia, a partner of the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal, for this new development. The project will be fully funded by the City of Montreal.
All of the 54 eligible women will receive rent supplements provided by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, ensuring that their contribution toward rent equals 25 per cent of their income, as well as other services. Ninety percent of this additional assistance will be funded by the SHQ and 10 per cent will come from the City of Montreal.
Additionally, the Old Brewery Mission will be there to assist the women.
“Our announcements to set up living environments and measures to fight homelessness have been multiplying in recent months. This shows that the new government in place is firmly determined to tackle this social scourge. I applaud the cooperation of the City of Montreal and the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal on this issue. This proves that when efforts add up, effective solutions can quickly be found,” said Karine Boivin Roy, the Minister of Housing.
Lionel Carmant, Minister of Social Services and the Fight Against Homelessness, added, “To get a person out of homelessness in the long term, we must first offer them a stable, safe living environment that is adapted to their needs. With these 54 new affordable housing units, we are quickly adding spaces that will allow some of the most vulnerable people to find a roof over their heads and the stability they need to embark on a new journey.” This is exactly the type of concrete solution that we need to multiply to prevent and reduce homelessness in Quebec.”
The City says that the project marks an effort to strengthen collaboration between the SHQ and the Ministry of Health and Social Services to offer better housing intervention and services tailored to people with special needs, namely individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, disabilities, or people who have experienced violence.
“The Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal, in partnership with Communia, is proud to bring its know-how to the development of housing for households in need. We are committed to playing a role in the fight against homelessness by providing housing solutions in Montreal. For us, this is a pilot project that could pave the way for other similar real estate projects in the future,” said Isabelle Pépin, the executive director of the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal.
The project will come to fruition over the next few months, with the Quebec government calling it a rapid and coordinated effort with the City of Montreal, federal and provincial governments, Old Brewery Mission, and the City’s housing office.
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