News

Participating in a strategic planning exercise takes time. It involves a collective reflection on the journey accomplished and making shared decisions on the direction to follow for the next few years.
From March to November 2016, the entire SHDM team participated in various activities that helped to define the major orientations of the corporation for the next four years. The outcome is a 2017–2020 strategic plan that builds on our history, our strengths and our commitment to contribute to the economic and social development of Montréal.

We illustrated this approach with a short video (available in French only) that demonstrates our team’s commitment to our collective project to serve Montréal, its territory, its residents, its economy, its culture and its diversity.

With this approach, our team is more than ever mobilized in the pursuit of its mission. Maintain and increase our affordable and quality rental offer, launch new housing projects and facilitate property ownership, broaden our interventions to the clienteles who need them most, in particular through innovative partnerships, and carry out projects while integrating best governance and management practices into a continuous improvement approach. This will sustain the momentum that brings us together and motivates us on a daily basis!

Highlights

• The Ville de Montréal Executive Committee approved the SHDM project to invest $4.7 million to renovate an affordable residential building in Ville-Marie.
• The SHDM, which is financially autonomous, will also assume the operating deficit estimated at $280,000 per year in order to support the social and affordable housing vocation of the project.
• The SHDM is innovating by taking advantage of the renovation project to improve the quality of life of current and future tenants, to increase the social value of its housing supply and to expand community services that promote residential stability for people experiencing chronic homelessness, in partnership with the Accueil Bonneau.

The Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) has obtained the approval of the Ville de Montréal Executive Committee to invest $4.7 million in a major renovation project for its affordable Le Christin residential building (Ville-Marie). Given the scope of the work required to renovate this building built in 1914, the SHDM seized the opportunity to thoroughly review the layout of the dwellings that were outdated and unsuitable for the needs of their tenants, while maintaining the affordability of rents for current and future tenants. The Corporation will also increase the social value of its housing offer through an agreement with the Accueil Bonneau that encompasses the management of the building, the recruitment of new tenants in the sector who are vulnerable or have experienced a situation of chronic homelessness and the provision of community services.

Russell Copeman, member of the Executive Committee of the Ville de Montréal, respondent from the SHDM, and responsible for housing, urban planning, real estate management and planning, and the Office de consultation publique de Montréal: “This project demonstrates how the SHDM goes far beyond expectations by seizing every opportunity to enhance its contribution to Montréal. In addition to ensuring the long-term sustainability of its housing stock by investing heavily, it also improves the relevance of its housing offer by partnering with organizations in the community sector to meet the Ville de Montréal’s orientations, including the Montréal Action Plan on Homelessness.”

Nancy Shoiry, SHDM Managing Director: “Being involved in Responsible Property Investment means taking every opportunity to improve our social, cultural and economic footprint for the benefit of the community. Beyond the improvement work, the renovation of the Le Christin building was the subject of a reflection that produced a project that will not only improve the quality of life of our tenants, but that will also diversify the solutions put in place to reduce and curb homelessness, in partnership with the Accueil Bonneau. It was the social value of the project that led the SHDM to make the calculated decision to absorb the operating deficit of the building.”

Aubin Boudreau, Managing Director of Accueil Bonneau: “This new project has an exemplary potential for the Accueil Bonneau. The SHDM offers us a residential project of choice, well located and adapted to our needs, which allows us to welcome people who have experienced homelessness and to help them continue their social reintegration process and achieve residential stability by benefiting from individual and personalized support. The project will provide a true mixed living environment for residents from different walks of life. This innovative approach promotes social inclusion, facilitates harmonious cohabitation and encourages everyone to play their role as citizens, either autonomously or with long-term support. ”

Regarding the Le Christin building

Located at 330, rue Christin, in the borough of Ville-Marie, this four-storey building was built in 1914. At the end of the renovation work, it will have 61 housing units, mostly studios with a bathroom and kitchenette, in addition to a laundry room, a community hall and an office for individual and community support services.

The entire project represents an investment of $4.7 million. The building will receive a $750,000 grant as part of the Ville de Montréal Major Residential Renovation Program.

By maintaining the affordable and social vocation of this residential building and by extending its housing supply to a more fragile clientele, the SHDM has chosen to assume from its own funds an annual operating deficit estimated at approximately $280,000 mainly due to amortization of the renovation investments announced today.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Chaussegros-de-Léry Complex, a legacy of Montréal’s 350th anniversary, the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) presents an exhibition that retraces the history of this building, whose construction has freed up space for what has become the Place de la Dauversière as well as the Champ-de-Mars, in addition to enabling the opening the Marché Bonsecours to the public. It is also the occasion to honour the memory of Gaspard Chaussegros-de-Léry who died 261 years ago today, March 23, 1756.

The exhibition “Chaussegros-de-Léry – 1992-2017” is open to the public free of charge in the lobby of 303 rue Notre-Dame Street est. A video composed of archive images is also available.

“The Chaussegros-de-Léry complex is so much a part of the landscape today that we forget the role it played in the Old Montréal revitalization project, offering a solution to several specific problems of the neighbourhood and the municipal administration,” said Manon Gauthier, a member of the Ville de Montréal Executive Committee, responsible for culture, heritage, design, Space for Life and the status of women. “Underlining this contribution gives us an additional perspective on the future impact of the projects for the 375th anniversary of Montréal, which we will launch throughout 2017. It also allows us to honour the memory of Gaspard Chaussegros-de-Léry who designed the plans and supervised the construction of the fortifications of Montréal between 1717 and 1744.”

Nancy Shoiry, Managing Director of the SHDM added: “As the owners of the Chaussegros-de-Léry Complex, we are proud to celebrate the anniversary of this building and its direct role in the transformation of Old Montréal. It is an excellent example of the SHDM’s contribution as a prime contractor for structuring projects, carrying out the vision of the Ville de Montréal and revitalizing key sectors for the economic and social development of Montréal. ”

Regarding the Chaussegros-de-Léry Complex
Located at the corner of Notre-Dame and Gosford streets, the Chaussegros-de-Léry Complex has an underground parking of more than 1,000 spaces which replaced the huge outdoor parking spaces that surrounded City Hall until the 1990s, and which have been transformed into public squares and green spaces, with the Place de la Dauversière to the south and the Champ-de-Mars to the north, in addition to the land on which the complex was built, to the east. Above ground, the complex comprises two seven-storey buildings, the first of which is an institutional building that houses various administrative services of the Ville de Montréal while the second one houses condominiums and a number of businesses.

 

Mr. Russell Copeman, member of the Executive Committee of the Ville de Montréal, responsible for housing, urban planning, real estate strategies and transactions and the Office de consultation publique de Montréal joins the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) to congratulate Mr. Guillaume Lavoie on his appointment as a member of the SHDM Board of Directors and to commend the work of other members of the Board whose term of office has been renewed for two years. This appointment ratified yesterday at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Ville de Montréal, comes into force immediately.

Mr. Copeman, emphasized: “We are pleased to complete the SHDM Board of Directors’ team with an independent expert who has a deep understanding of the issues of construction projects. He joins a team that has demonstrated its ability to accompany the SHDM in the performance of its mission in Responsible Property Investment, both with affordable and quality residential projects and with the Îlot Balmoral, a flagship building with a cultural and institutional vocation which is currently under construction on Place des Festivals.”

In accordance with the SHDM’s statutes, the Ville de Montréal is responsible for the appointment of SHDM’s directors who are chosen to represent a variety of relevant skills to guide the organization in its strategic choices and to ensure good governance. The directors of the SHDM have a remarkable expertise in management, real estate, major projects and community project development, housing, finance and marketing.

Along with the appointment announced today, the Ville de Montréal renewed the mandate of: Ms. Johanne Brunet, President; Ms. Julie Chaurette, Director; Mr. Fabien Cournoyer, Director; Mr. Linton S. Garner, Director; Mr. Robert Juneau, Director; Mr. Alain Lapointe, Director ; Ms. Ana Nunes, Director and Ms. Marie-Josée Roux Fauteux, Director.

Regarding Guillaume Lavoie
A member of the Ordre des ingénieurs, Mr. Lavoie holds a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering, a master’s degree in construction projects management from the ÉTS and a PMP certification. He has more than 10 years of experience in project management, contract management, claims and construction supervision. Currently a consultant specializing in project management and claims expert in the construction industry, he has worked on commercial, institutional, industrial, hospital, airport and hydroelectric projects, both in Canada and abroad. In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Lavoie is currently completing an MBA in Business Administration at HEC Montréal.

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.

—

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.