News

The Executive Committee of the Ville de Montreal has just authorized the construction of the De Champlain project that will number 26 rental studios, to be built and financed by the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM), in partnership with the charitable organization Chez Doris. This housing project, which will provide social support to women with chronic mental health problems and who are at risk of homelessness, will be located in the borough of Ville-Marie and will welcome its first tenants in the fall of 2019.

Wishing to consolidate and redeploy its housing stock, while addressing the challenges facing the Ville de Montréal in the fight against homelessness, the SHDM seized the opportunity to replace two of its buildings, attached triplexes of three units each, which were completely vacant because of major structural problems. The new building will have more housing units with typologies entirely rethought to accommodate women in search of residential stability. To this end, the organization Chez Doris, which will supervise the premises and offer support services to residents, is entrusted with the management of the building, which will remain the property of the SHDM. This project of housing with accompaniment complements the 309 rooms already owned by the SHDM and that contribute to the fight against homelessness.

Declarations

Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal: “This residential revitalization project is perfectly in line with the objectives and actions of the Ville de Montréal’s 2018–2020 Action plan to Fight Homelessness. It contributes to increase the supply of housing for homeless people or people at risk of becoming homeless. It directly works on the improvement of their housing conditions by dedicating specialized resources both in terms of design and social intervention to promote their residential stability. Above all, this project promotes social inclusion by taking into account the specific needs of homeless women, including Inuit women. I would like to acknowledge the concerted efforts of the SHDM and Chez Doris, which are acting in complementarity and are answering the call of the Ville de Montréal to build a city that is solidary, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.”

Nancy Shoiry, Executive Director, SHDM: “It is precisely by supporting the accompaniment of neglected clienteles with respect to housing that the SHDM can achieve its mission regarding social and economic development. This project is part of the diversity of housing solutions that the SHDM offers on a daily basis to meet the needs of different Montréal clienteles and it is through this same diversification of its activities that it can invest in projects that have a social impact. To ensure the success of this bold endeavour, the SHDM once again favours working in partnership, combining its expertise in Responsible Property Investment with the knowledgeability of Chez Doris, an organization that has proven itself in the aid to vulnerable clienteles. By responding in concert to the objectives of the Ville de Montréal, SHDM’s role as a partner of choice in Responsible Property Investment takes on its full meaning here.”

Marina Boulos-Winton, Chez Doris Executive Director: “Having operated a day shelter for more than 40 years to support women in difficulty, Chez Doris is now ready to expand its offer and mission and support such a housing project. While women’s homelessness is a complex and even systemic phenomenon, it is well hidden and less visible than men’s homelessness. Resources are simply not sufficient to meet all the needs. This is why we are delighted to have found in the SHDM a key partner to support this project and to add a resource that is complementary to our various existing tools, all of which essential for the path towards residential stability of women at risk of becoming homeless. Quite frankly, without the SHDM, we would never have been able to realize this project and in such a short time.”

A Structuring Project That Meets the Needs of a Vulnerable Clientele

Located near Notre-Dame Hospital, the project will include 26 studios as well as common areas, including two offices dedicated to support and supervision services. Unlike rooming houses, each studio will include a kitchenette and a bathroom in order to offer future tenants an environment conducive to harmonious cohabitation that respects the privacy of each and creates the conditions for individuals to retake control of their lives and improve their psychological stability.

Operating with 100% financial autonomy, the SHDM will finance the replacement project as well as the management fees that will be paid to the organization under a management agreement. The building costs for this repurposing project are estimated at approximately $3 million. Chez Doris will be responsible for the purchase of equipment and furniture, and for the management fees associated with the social support of tenants. As for the financing of the rents through a program of assistance to the person, the latter will be initiated later.

The project will be designed by the architectural firm Rayside-Labossière. An expert in architectural projects for the community and social sectors, this firm will be able to respond to the particular challenges of such a project, while taking into account the built environment in order to ensure a successful integration with the urban environment of the sector.

Regarding Chez Doris
Chez Doris offers services and programs to address the most basic and immediate needs of women with respect to homelessness, poverty, mental illness or addictions. It is the only women’s day shelter in Montréal open 7 days a week, from 8:30 am to 3 pm. Services include: breakfast and lunch, access to showers, hygiene products and a cloakroom, emergency food bags, 6 respite beds, telephone and referral information, a financial management program, an Inuit Assistance Program, a housing program for Aboriginal women, health and mental health services, legal and tax preparation services, as well as educational and socio-recreational integration programs.

On the occasion of the Patrimoine en fête event, which will take place on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at Place Simon-Valois in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough, the SHDM shares the history of a landmark heritage building in Montréal: the 335, place d’Youville.

The Centre d’histoire de Montréal (CHM) is located at 335 place d’Youville in Old Montréal in a building with remarkable architecture dating from the early 20th century. Housing a fire station during the first part of its life, this building was converted in the early ’80s to accommodate this museum dedicated to the history of Montréal and the city’s heritage. The Société immobilière du patrimoine architectural de Montréal (SIMPA), ancestor of the SHDM, steered this conversion project in 1981.

The adoption of the Cultural Property Act in 1972 and the Agreement on Old Montréal and Montréal Heritage (MAC Agreement) in 1979 laid the foundation for the partnership between the City and the Ministry to rehabilitate the historic district of Montréal. SIMPA then became the bearer of the common will of the two partners and carried out many projects to consolidate the activities in Old Montréal, boost its economy and promote the residential function. “Where architecture, real estate and urban planning are concerned, Old Montréal was not in the state we know today. The ’80s and the ’90s were a turning point for the district,” explains Patrick Pretty, Project Coordinator at the SHDM Property Management Direction.

The Chaussegros-de-Léry complex, the former Dalhousie Train Station, the Faubourg Québec and the World Trade Center Montréal are examples of SHDM projects in Old Montréal. The recycling of the former fire station into a museum on Place d’Youville is also a remarkable achievement. Indeed, in addition to being a rehabilitation project, the function reserved for it highlights the history of Montréal. “In 2001, our expertise was used again to redesign the exhibition spaces that were more than 10 years old. The goal was to maximize visitor traffic and offer a renewed vision of Montréal’s history. After a year of major work, enabled by a budget of $2.2 million, the new CHM presents a permanent exhibition and has a new multi-purpose room for temporary thematic exhibitions. Montréal’s heritage is rooted even more in this place,” explains Patrick Pretty.

Designed by architects Joseph Perrault and Simon Lesage in 1903 and 1904, the headquarters of the Montréal Fire Department present a Flemish style, something unusual in the architecture of Montréal at the time. The architecture includes buff-coloured cut stone, red brick, an attic roof with a skylight, and a square tower with a gabled roof. Firefighters settled there in 1904 with horses and steam pumps. In 1908, the fire hall became a neighbourhood fire station, and the horses were replaced by motor vehicles. The station was disused as of 1972 and this, until its rehabilitation to accommodate the CHM.

While the SHDM celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2018, it is good to remember that it is the result of the merger of different paramunicipal societies in recent decades. Knowing how it evolved leads us to better appreciate the relevance of its mission and its past and current interventions, some of which aim at the preservation and promotion of our built heritage.

 

Sources :

• Photography of Martin New at Montreal in Pictures
• Website of  Centre d’histoire de Montréal 
• Old Montréal website
• PDF document 25 ans du Vieux Montréal

The Ville de Montréal’s Executive Committee has given a green light to the Frontenac real estate complex project submitted jointly by two paramunicipal corporations, namely the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) via its business subsidiary, Transgesco, and the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM). The complex will be built on a 54,200-square-foot lot owned by the STM, close to the Frontenac métro station in the Ville-Marie borough. The project features the construction of 298 housing units, including 60 social housing units and 109 affordable, Accès Condos accredited condominiums, along with 25,700 square feet of office space to meet the STM’s needs.

Statements

Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal: “This project shows how we can call on the combined strengths of our paramunicipal corporations to deploy exemplary projects that meet Montrealers’ needs. As a property owner, the STM wants to develop or optimize its assets beyond its own needs. By joining with the SHDM, it taps into the latter’s expertise in real estate development in areas needing consolidation. Together, the STM and SHDM have designed a project aligned with the development vision for the neighbourhood, expanding the residential offering in a sector in high demand and integrating diversity into their project by proposing 169 social and affordable housing units. In addition, they are doing all this by drawing on the proximity of the public transit system, a key aspect of the overall project.”

Philippe Schnobb, Chairman of the STM Board of Directors: “The STM is especially proud of this project, which is a first step in developing its real estate assets. Prepared in partnership with the SHDM, the project contributes to revitalization of the Sainte-Marie neighbourhood and enhancement of the housing stock, in line with the STM’s sustainable development vision, greater accessibility of public transit and elimination of a heat island. It’s a positive initiative in a number of ways, and we hope to repeat it.”

Nancy Shoiry, Executive Director of the SHDM: “The SHDM’s expertise in responsible property investment takes on its full meaning with this ambitious project, which is an innovative response to the objectives of the Ville de Montréal and the STM with regard to housing, urban planning and sustainable mobility. By combining our know-how with that of our partners to develop a winning business model for all involved, the SHDM meets the needs of Montréal families in terms of housing and access to home ownership, in addition to significantly exceeding the Ville de Montréal’s targets by integrating 57% affordable and social housing.”

Frontenac real estate complex: an ambitious mixed-use residential project
The project involves the construction of a mixed-use real estate project located next to the Frontenac métro station and Maison de la Culture Frontenac, on a 54,200-square-foot site bordered by Du Havre, La Fontaine and Frontenac streets (Ville-Marie borough). The location means that the site is appropriate for a densification project based on transit-oriented development (TOD) principles, involving the creation of residential or commercial areas that encourage the use of public transit.

The STM decided in 2015 to develop this real estate asset, which is currently a parking lot, and invited the SHDM to join with it in creating a project that meets its needs and integrates the Ville de Montréal’s priorities for this sector undergoing revitalization. The Coop du Havre technical resource group subsequently joined the partnership, taking charge of development of social housing units as part of the AccèsLogis program.

The architectural design, signed Lemay, provides for the construction of 298 housing units, including 60 social housing units intended mainly for families as part of the AccèsLogis program; 109 affordable, Accès Condos accredited units, 58% of them with two or more bedrooms; 129 private units; and 25,700 square feet of office space for the STM. The project also includes underground parking for 213 cars and 175 bike stalls. It will be built by developer Cosoltec Inc. Construction should get under way in 2019, with delivery of the project in 2021.

About the STM
The STM develops and operates an integrated bus and métro system, as well as a paratransit service, for the benefit of its customers. The métro system comprises four lines serving 68 stations, with 71 km of tunnels, and the bus system covers the island of Montréal, an operating area of 500 square kilometres. The STM provided 416.2 million passenger rides in 2016, which translates into some 1.4 million rides per day. It accounts for over 80% of all public transportation in the Montréal area, representing more than 70% of all public transit use in Québec. To find out more, go to www.stm.info.

The Ville de Montréal has just announced the enhancement of its program to support the acquisition of a residential property, a fund that offers financial assistance to buyers, under certain conditions.

For buyers of Accès Condos accredited units, this is great news! Indeed, this means that buyers who use the Accès Condos financial tool, a tool managed by the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM), can ALSO, under the municipal program, have access to a subsidy from the Ville de Montréal for their purchase, according to the same criteria applied to any other buyer.

Indeed, the SHDM has designed the Accès Condos program to be complementary to other municipal initiatives aimed at enabling more households to buy a property and live in Montréal.

While the Ville de Montréal’s financial assistance program for the purchase of a residential property is accessible according to certain eligibility criteria, the only criterion of the Accès Condos financial tool is that of being eligible for a mortgage loan. Thus, in addition to the 10% purchase credit that reduces the down payment to only $1,000 for the purchase of an accredited Accès Condos unit, you may also be eligible for financial assistance from the Ville de Montréal ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, for a purchase made on or after May 1, 2018.

Have you already reserved your unit at Faubourg Contrecœur phase 5? You should immediately look into this new program because your deed of sale will only be notarized when you take possession of your unit, i.e. after the date of entry into force of the new program!

For more information on the Ville de Montréal financial assistance program for the acquisition of a residential property and the eligibility criteria, click HERE.

To visualize the Accès Condos accredited projects, click HERE.

Launched in 2016, the BORO project involved the construction of 26 affordable housing units, including 22 townhouses, in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough. This project has received an Accès Condos accreditation following a thorough qualification process.

Due to exceptional and unusual circumstances, the developer was unable to complete the project. Indeed, its chief executive has been reported missing by the police department of the Ville de Montréal (SPVM) since November 5, 2017. His relatives had alerted the authorities at the time of his disappearance, because he allegedly made suicidal remarks a few weeks before.

In order to get out of the legal vacuum created by these unforeseeable circumstances, the Superior Court of Québec appointed Ernst & Young to act as interim receiver and to launch a call for tenders to find a new developer.

Throughout this process, the SHDM has urged those responsible for the project to ensure transparent communication with buyers by regularly informing them of progress or obstacles encountered. Going beyond our strict legal responsibilities, we ensured a personal follow-up, addressing everyone’s concerns and disappointment to the best of our abilities.

All partners were hoping to find a solution to complete this project according to the parameters of the Accès Condos program, but this was not possible. All buyers will be released from their commitment by the interim receiver and deposits will be refunded, without condition or penalties.

The Accès Condos team shares the disappointment of buyers interested in this project and we continue to develop other projects that you can explore in the Projects underway and Projects to come sections.

This year, the SHDM has been invited to join the honorary committee of the seventh edition of Parle-moi d’amour Centre Wellington for the benefit of the Atelier des Impatients of Verdun.

Members of the SHDM community as tenants at the Monastère du Bon-Pasteur, a heritage property of the SHDM, the Impatients’ team is doing a remarkable job with people suffering from mental health problems by leading workshops of artistic expression. Offered for free in various locations in Montréal and the surrounding region, the Impatients welcome some 650 participants per week for creative activities that are supervised by artists or professional therapists. Through artistic practice, participants are called to socialize and break their isolation, thereby contributing to improving their quality of life.

In addition to their workshops, the Impatients have a gallery space in the Monastère du Bon-Pasteur to exhibit the works that are created during the workshops. There are also travelling exhibitions, publications, public readings and concerts, as well as a collection of more than 15,000 works of art by their participants.

All this work requires a lot of commitment, effort and love for the cause of mental health and art, but also a lot of money. This is why the Impatients organize every year silent auctions of works by participants and emerging and renowned artists as part of various exhibitions open to the public. The profits from the sale of these works make it possible to finance the activities of this organization, while giving an opportunity to a wider public to build a collection of works of art. It is an innovative way to democratize art while raising public awareness of the cause of mental health.

It is therefore with great pleasure that we invite you to reserve a date between May 1st and May 9, 2018, to visit the Parle-moi d’amour Centre Wellington exhibition (4932 rue Wellington, H4G 1X6) to enjoy the many works that will be shown and make a silent bid on your favourite. The exhibition and the silent auction will end on the evening on May 9 during which will be held a live auction of a dozen selected works, led by the spokesperson of the event, Chantal Lamarre, actress, columnist, host and Quebec writer.

Art lovers, aspiring collectors as experienced collectors, philanthropists or good Samaritans, this is an opportunity for you to participate in a beautiful evening for the benefit of a great cause, to treat yourself, to surprise a loved one, or even offer a nice gift to your mother on Mother’s Day. We are waiting for you! In the meantime, check out the online catalogue of the works that will be auctioned. You will find real treasures to hang on your walls that were created by emerging artists, established artists and participants in Les Impatient’s workshops.