News

The Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) invites residential and commercial real estate developers to read the public call for proposals to be launched on SEAO on March 10, 2017, by Transgesco, a subsidiary of the STM, for the building of a mixed use project near the Frontenac metro station.

Transgesco is entering a partnership with the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) and the Coopérative d’habitation Le Havre-Frontenac to develop a mixed-use real estate project on the land adjacent to the Frontenac metro station, and which will contribute to the revitalization of this sector of the Ville-Marie borough. A public call for proposals is therefore launched in order to select a developer capable of presenting a project that matches the partners’ ambitions by combining the construction of affordable and community housing, commercial spaces and a private residential offer.

The project will encompass:

• about 110 affordable housing units to be accredited under the Accès Condos Program,
• 60 community housing units as part of the Accès Logis Program,
• a potential for an additional 80 private housing units,
• 25,700 sq. ft. of commercial space,
• about 180 parking spaces.

Following the publication of the public call for proposals on March 10 on www.seao.ca, interested developers will be required to attend the presentations on the project that will take place during the months of April and May 2017. The date to present the proposals is set for Friday, July 7, 2017.

Regarding the partners
Transgesco, a commercial subsidiary of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), develops various forms of partnership in order to increase commercial revenues by capitalizing on the strength of the ridership and the assets of the STM. For this project, Trangesco will be associated with the SHDM – a para municipal agency leading in the area of affordable housing and home ownership, which it promotes through its Accès Condos Program – and the Coopérative d’habitation Le Havre-Frontenac, which was founded in 2010 by a group of citizens of the Sainte-Marie neighbourhood wishing to develop a housing project intended mainly for families.

Yesterday, members of the Executive Committee of the Ville de Montréal authorized the SHDM to proceed with the construction of a mixed housing project on the Bassins du Nouveau-Havre site. The project, which will encompass 78 Accès Condos accredited units and 235 community housing units, will be developed in partnership with Bâtir son quartier as part of the Accès Logis program. This project will help meet the strong demand for a mixed and affordable offer in the highly sought-after area of Griffintown.

Russell Copeman, member of the Executive Committee of the Ville de Montréal and responsible for housing, urban planning, property management and planning and the Office de consultation publique de Montréal, stated: “In order to enable a diversity of housing options in Griffintown, we determined, early in the development of the Bassins du Nouveau-Havre site, that 25% of the new units should be affordable, community or social housing. The integrated construction of the 313 units approved today allows us to exceed this objective and demonstrates how the SHDM uses its expertise and its agility to carry out complex projects, involving many partners and responding to the strategic vision of the Ville de Montréal.”

Benoit Dorais, mayor of the borough Le Sud-Ouest, said: “Montrealers are rediscovering the riches of the Sud-Ouest. The mix of the housing offer and the access to quality affordable living accommodations is more than ever a priority for us. This is why I warmly welcome this concerted effort between several stakeholders at the service of the vision we are advocating together for Griffintown: mixed neighbourhoods, offering a quality of life to a great diversity of Montrealers.

‘After more than two years of collaborating with Bâtir son quartier, the milestone reached today enables us to carry out the integrated project for the Bassins du Nouveau-Havre site in which the SHDM acted as a lever, bringing together the particular expertise of each partner, at the lowest possible cost, and allowing a mixed offer of affordable housing,’ said Nancy Shoiry, Managing Director of SHDM. ‘The Accès Condos accreditation of part of the units in a sector in high demand also contributes to the diversification of our methods of intervention to foster social mix and enhance the vitality of Montréal’s neighbourhoods.’

Edith Cyr, Managing Director of Bâtir son quartier, added: ‘This major development, which combines private property and community housing, is the result of a long mobilization of community organizations and citizens. It is also the result of an exceptional collaboration with all our partners: the SHDM, the Government of Québec, the Ville de Montréal and Le Sud-Ouest borough. This synergistic intervention makes it possible to give a place to every Montrealer, and to preserve the social diversity of central neighbourhoods.’

A family project of 78 Accès Condos accredited units
Designed for families, this project will offer a majority of 2 and 3 bedroom condos (51 units). Let’s recall that the Access Condos program accredits affordable residential projects and promotes home ownership by offering buyers a 10% purchase credit in a formula accessible to all. Considering the strong demand in the Griffintown sector where increasing property values restrict homeownership, the SHDM plans to put in place specific criteria for this project in order to favour families and first-time buyers, and to encourage a true mix of clienteles in this central sector. The specific terms and conditions will be announced prior to the opening of the sales office which should take place within a year. Interested people are invited to subscribe to the Accès Condos newsletter by visiting the website www.accescondos.org.

Two community housing projects totaling 235 units
The community component brings together two partners who have joined forces, the neighbourhood organization SOCAM (Société d’amélioration de Pointe-St-Charles) and Bâtir son quartier, which helps SOCAM in the development of two not-for-profit rental buildings.

The three buildings will be built on the same foundations. They will share an underground parking of 131 spaces and a storage area that can accommodate 313 bicycles. The project will also feature a common central courtyard with green spaces. With the building fronting on rue Ottawa, the project will also provide approximately 14,000 square feet of commercial space, contributing to the vibrancy of neighbourhood life.

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About Bâtir son quartier
Bâtir son quartier is a social economy enterprise that supports non-profit organizations and low- and middle-income citizens in the management of their living conditions through the development of community housing projects. Bâtir son quartier has crossed the threshold of 12,000 community dwellings built since its creation in 1976. This represents 400 cooperative or non-profit living environments: a sustainable collective heritage for society. For more information, visit www.batirsonquartier.com.

The SHDM, owner of 16 Autonomie+ rental complexes, leases 1,118 apartments for autonomous people aged 55 and over. Among our tenants, Mrs. Lacoste, who celebrated her 100th birthday last June, never ceases to amaze us with her lucidity, her humour, her charm … and her perfect autonomy!

On the fourth floor of an SHDM building, Mme Lacoste welcomed us in her 4 ½ room apartment, nicely decorated and well cared for. She has been the tenant of this property for more than 30 years, Mrs. Lacoste had originally moved in with her sister. Though her sister passed away a few years ago, Mrs. Lacoste still feels good about her home. “I’m used to living here,” she says. Born in 1916 less than two kilometres from her current place of living, Mrs. Lacoste knows this neighbourhood well.

The Autonomie+ properties were intended for autonomous people, and we asked her how she goes about maintaining such autonomy. First of all, Mrs. Lacoste is lucky to have a relative on whom she can rely. Her nephew and godson is the person who cares most about her; “He lives in Sainte-Thérèse. He comes to fetch me for appointments or to take me shopping. He sometimes takes me to the restaurant,” she explains. Mrs. Lacoste also receives biweekly in-home support services to clean the apartment. There are finally her neighbours with whom she shares activities and on whom she can count for ad hoc purchases. “Every Monday afternoon, we play games of bean bags toss in the community hall of the building. Then, several times a week, we meet at a neighbour’s place to play cards. It passes the time,” she says. “A neighbour also regularly offers me to add my requests to her shopping list when she entrusts her purchases to someone in her entourage.”

This cohesion between neighbours helps to counter isolation and promote the vitality of living environments for the elderly. These are the objectives of the SHDM Autonomie+ complexes and it is gratifying to note that they take their full meaning in testimonies such as that of Mrs. Lacoste.

Mrs. Lacoste still cooks and likes to prepare a good filet mignon. “I also, from time to time, buy ready-made meals,” she says. Aware that her autonomy and her health remain fragile, she anticipates with serenity and simplicity the wish of her godson to find a residence with care when it will become necessary. There are many family pictures in her tastefully furnished living room. The frame hanging behind her chair is a montage of photographs taken during the celebration of her 80th birthday at which several of her nine siblings were present. Today, being the only survivor of her generation, the moments she cherishes most are when her nephews or nieces invite her in their families.

Her advice to young people or perhaps the secret of her longevity would be “one day at a time.” Thank you, Mrs. Lacoste for agreeing to meet with us and for delivering this inspiring testimony.

A proud heritage and so many achievements to celebrate. May this period of festivities begin with joy and pride for the entire SHDM community.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Discover La rue des Femmes, an organization that is near and dear to our hearts, www.laruedesfemmes.org

 

Our offices will be closed from Friday, December 23, 2016, to Tuesday, January 3, 2017, inclusively. A team will ensure an emergency service and will take the messages left on our voice mail at 514 380-SHDM (7436).

The Accès Condos accredited project, called BORO Condos and stacked townhouses was launched on November 19th and attracted a great deal of interest from buyers and the media.

In addition to the presence of more than 200 potential buyers during the opening weekend of the sales office, several journalists mentioned the project and the Accès Condos home ownership program that was developed 10 years ago by the SHDM.

Read this press review and discover the new Facebook page of Accès Condos to follow the news on the program and future projects!

• Journal Métro – Des maisonnettes Accès Condos pour les familles
• La Presse+ – Accès Condos : Boro à Roxboro
• Montreal Gazette – BORO condos accessible to buyers

About Accès Condos program – Launched in Montréal in 2005 by the SHDM, the Accès Condos program has proven its worth! More than 3,600 quality-built and affordable units were accredited in ten boroughs through agreements with developers. These are all Montréal households that have benefited from our financial tool and have built an equity. This innovative formula promotes home ownership with a purchase credit of 10% offered to buyers. It also allows families to grow since 30% of accredited units have three bedrooms or more.

It was with great pleasure that we read the testimony of one of our new tenants in the local paper Le Canal which is published online by P.O.P.I.R., a tenant rights advocacy committee in Saint-Henri.

This message summarizes the essence of our mission with respect to housing: to provide affordable dwellings that enable families to stay in Montréal. Neither social housing, nor luxurious apartments our 4,700 rental units meet the needs of over 8,000 Montrealers and contribute to the diversity and vitality of our neighbourhoods.

Like the residential fabric of Montréal, our housing stock is diverse: Autonomie+ rental complexes for persons who are 55 years and older, multiplexes primarily offering housing for families and blocks of apartments managed in partnership with housing NPOs and community groups to house clienteles that are vulnerable or have special needs.

In return, Mrs. Valencia, we thank you for taking the time to share your story that is a reminder of why the SHDM is involved on a daily basis in housing issues and how the diversity of its offer meets real needs, such as those of your large family.

The testimony can be read on page 5 of Le Canal paper (fall 2016 edition)