123 new housing units for students in Montréal

Montréal, Québec, June 3, 2021

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada’s recovery, as Canadian communities — including students who want to come to Montréal to pursue higher education — are still having trouble finding safe and affordable housing.

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament (Laurier – Sainte-Marie), on behalf of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with Valérie Plante, Mayor of the City of Montréal, announced a low-cost loan of more than $20 million from the federal government to build La Rose des vents, a project by the Unité de travail pour l’implantation de logement étudiant (UTILE) that will include 123 housing units primarily intended for students in Montréal.

This investment by the Government of Canada is made possible by the National Housing Strategy’s (NHS) National Housing Co-investment Fund (NHCF).

The City of Montréal is also participating in the project by providing a contribution of $4.3 million. The project’s two other financial partners are Quebec’s Chantier de l’économie sociale Trust and the Réseau d’investissement social du Québec.

La Rose des vents, a six-storey building, will be located near every amenity in the Technopôle Angus eco-district in the borough of Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie. This innovative project is aiming for a LEED Platinum environmental certification and will be part of an “energy loop” with the other buildings in the green neighbourhood. This energy loop will considerably reduce the entire neighbourhood’s drinking water and energy usage.

UTILE is a social economy enterprise focused on the development, study and promotion of student housing in Quebec. Its goal is to meet an unmet need by providing affordable and quality apartments to Quebec students.

Quotes:

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Thanks to today’s announcement, many students in Montréal will soon have affordable housing near their educational institution. This will allow them to focus on their studies and build a promising future for themselves. This is the National Housing Strategy in action.”
— The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

“This investment from the Government of Canada’s National Housing Co-investment Fund will improve the quality of life for students and make our city a better place to live. When people have a secure and stable home, they gain the confidence they need to succeed and fulfill their potential. Projects like this one are a testament to the power of partnerships and to what we can accomplish when we work together toward a common goal.”
— The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament (Laurier – Sainte-Marie)

“Housing is a priority for our administration. The upcoming completion of La Rose des vents, a 123-unit project intended primarily for Montréal students, will not only meet a critical need for affordable housing in a central neighbourhood of the city, but it is also part of the green and inclusive recovery that is underway, thanks to the LEED Platinum certification that is being sought. The City of Montréal is proud to invest $4.3 million in this project and will continue to work to improve access to affordable, social and family-oriented housing in Montréal.”
— Valérie Plante, Mayor, City of Montréal

“With the construction of this second project, UTILE is showing that it is possible to develop ambitious, affordable and sustainable projects that improve access to housing and students’ quality of life. Thanks to our partners’ trust, UTILE is one step closer to providing a transformative answer to the growing need for student housing. We are currently working on projects in several student cities across Canada.”
— Laurent Levesque, Co-Founder and Executive Director, UTILE

“This partnership with UTILE’s team is an important milestone in the development of residential units at Technopôle Angus. With its family-oriented, affordable units, nearby businesses, community services and retailers, this residential project will attract students, who will add to the diversity we want to see, enrich the neighbourhood and make Angus an inclusive and unique place to live in Montréal.”
— Christian Yaccarini, President and CEO, Société de développement Angus

Quick facts:

UTILE’s Rose des vents building is expected to post savings of 41.7% in energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 56% when compared to the requirements of the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 2015.
37 units will be rented at a rate equivalent to 78% of the median rent in the area. Under the NHCF, affordability must be maintained for at least 20 years. UTILE aims to maintain the project’s affordability permanently. These units will be rented out in priority to students living in economically precarious situations.
All common areas in the building will be barrier-free, and 26 units will be accessible. Accessible units will be rented first to people with reduced mobility.
The units will be rented out as a priority to students, but not exclusively. This will also allow non-students and families to live in the building.
Through the NHCF, the Government of Canada will work with partners to build up to 60,000 new affordable homes and repair up to 240,000 existing affordable and community homes.
Under the NHCF, investments are also planned to create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence, as well as create at least 7,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and 2,400 new affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities.
To help Canadians find affordable housing, Budget 2021 proposes to provide an additional $2.5 billion over seven years in new funding and to reallocate $1.3 billion in previously announced funding to speed up the construction, repair, and support over 35,000 additional housing units.
In Budget 2021, $750 million in existing funding under NHCF is proposed to be advanced to 2021 – 22 and 2022 – 23. This will accelerate the creation of 3,400 new units and the repair of 13,700 units. $250 million in existing funding will also be allocated to support the construction, repair, and operating costs of an estimated 560 units of transitional housing and shelter spaces for women and children fleeing violence. This funding will help the Government address gender-based violence.
Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $70+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home — this includes more than $13 billion committed through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement.

Associated links:

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC’s aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information,follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

The Unité de travail pour l’implantation de logement étudiant (UTILE) is the only organization in Quebec that specializes in affordable student housing development, operation, promotion and research. The social economy enterprise is behind several projects, including three editions of the PHARE survey, the largest survey on student living conditions in Quebec. UTILE is currently operating a 90-unit building located across from Lafontaine Park in Montréal.