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The Accès Condos program, launched in 2005, has already enabled more than 3,600 households to acquire an affordable, quality home in Montréal. Of these, 90% were new homeowners, and 34% were families.

A relevant program for those wanting to buy in Montréal and build equity

Accès Condos is a financial tool for buyers which offers them a 10% purchase credit. This allows them to reduce their down payment to $1,000, as well as lowering their mortgage loan at their financial institution. It specifically aims at affordable quality homes in Montréal accredited by the SHDM.

The program is structured to answer the needs of those wishing to acquire a home within their means in Montréal, and benefit from its exceptional quality of life, advantages, and amenities.

With parametersthat reduce risks, the program is available to all, so long as the buyers live in the unit they purchase –which limits speculation. The program also limits the debt risks of households, since it doesn’t allow buyers to have a debt that exceeds the purchase price of their unit. Nor can they refinance their loan in the event of an increase in the market value of their condominium. The SHDM does not guarantee mortgage loans; buyers of an SHDM accredited unit must meet the insured mortgage loan requirements of the CMHC or Genworth.

Quality projects that contribute to neighborhood revitalization and to Montreal’s growth

Providing accreditation to targeted projects in areas with unexploited potential, Accès Condos contributes to revitalize Montréal’s neighborhoods by creating dynamic living environments and ensuring a balanced social mix that is stimulating and beneficial for the entire community.

By offering affordable alternatives to people wanting to live closer to their workplace or to an efficient public transportation system, Accès Condos helps limit the exodus of families to the suburbs.

This program is financed by the SHDM, a non-profit, financially autonomous organization. Although SHDM receives no financial contributions from the Ville de Montréal, it remains a valuable partner for responsible real estate entrepreneurs seeking to contribute to Montréal’s social and economic development.

It was in the presence of many residents of Faubourg Contrecœur, and their children, that Carlos D’Alcantara Park was officially opened on Saturday September 28.

« For the SHDM, the inauguration of the park symbolizes the gradual transformation of this new neighbourhood into a real living environment that meets the diverse needs of the community. It is extremely rewarding to see our team’s efforts and those of our partners bearing fruit « said Johanne Goulet, Director General of the SHDM.

With over 490 units accredited in the Accès Condos program, in addition to affordable housing units and projects developed by private developers, Faubourg Contrecœur distinguishes itself as an innovative example of urban residential development, user-friendly and in keeping with the principles of mixed uses.
In bright sunshine, the younger residents tried for the first time the recreational equipment and areas that were created for them including two playgrounds for children and teenagers, water games, a soccer field and a basketball court.

Members of the Carlos D’Alcantara family were also present. They came to share their joy to see the memory of their ancestor immortalized, after a contest that led to the choice of the name of the park, a tribute to this pioneer of horticulture in Québec, who started his business in the eastern part of Montréal at the beginning of the last century.

 

Crédit photo: Patrick Deschamps (Courtoisie Arrondissement Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve)

Montréal, Thursday, September 19th, 2013 – As a member of the Montréal = Families steering committee, the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) salutes the government’s intention to encourage young couples and families to remain living in Montréal, and confirms its willingness to multiply its initiatives in this regards in the short and medium term.

In the words of Johanne Goulet, Director General of the SHDM and representative of the Société on the Montréal = Families steering committee, “The committee’s meetings have generated fruitful and constructive exchanges among the partners of the housing milieu. The exercise is all the more stimulating because a shared analysis of problems allows us to develop a concrete and concerted plan of action. A plan shared by all the partners is clearly more effective.”

She adds that “While SHDM projects already include a sizeable proportion of large housing units accessible to families; we intend to reinforce this trend and go even further, namely by achieving the objectives of the Ville de Montréal Plan to keep families in Montréal 2014-2017. The success of the Accès Condos program directly inspires our search for innovative financing solutions aimed at meeting the expectations of those households that would otherwise not be able to purchase a home in Montreal. We are also ready to work with the various partners in the institutional, community and private sectors to develop pilot projects that would multiply and diversify the supply of housing that meets the needs of families.”

As an indispensable stakeholder and partner of the Ville de Montréal in the field of housing, the SHDM shared its expertise with the committee with respect to project design and financing as well as with respect to programs to facilitate affordable homeownership. Its activities and programs allow the Société to undertake concrete actions that coincide with two of the committee’s recommended strategic priorities: 1. Facilitate accessibility to family housing and land 2. Stimulate the availability of housing products that meet families’ needs.

About the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM)
The SHDM contributes to the economic and social development of the Ville de Montréal by the enhancement of residential, institutional, industrial, commercial and cultural real estate assets in the territory of the latter. It is a key partner of the Ville de Montréal in the implementation of its policies and the achievement of its objectives. Since 2006, the SHDM has enabled more than 3,600 households to acquire a property in Montréal; of these, 90% would have been unable to purchase a property in the city without the Accès Condo program. In order to meet the needs of families, 30% of the units it currently accredits dispose of three or more bedrooms.

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Source:Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM)
Information:Leslie Molko, 514 347-8584

Montréal, Thursday, August 15th, 2013 – The Ville de Montréal Executive Committee has authorized that the recommendation of the Board of Directors of the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) to proceed with the sale of the building that formerly housed the Musée Juste pour rire to the circus company Les 7 doigts de la main be submitted for approval by the City Council.

The Ville de Montréal and the SHDM have agreed to share the investment necessary for this building to conserve its cultural vocation and contribute to enriching the animation of the Quartier des spectacles. The terms of this transaction, which will be concluded in the coming months, confirms the important level of support for this non-profit organization, by both the City and the SHDM, in its efforts to acquire a permanent center for artistic creation and production in Montréal.

The building, with an estimated value of slightly more than $3 million, is to be sold at a price of $2.5 million, payable to the SHDM in 20 annual interest-free payments of $125,000. By offering such an advantageous price as well as interest-free financing, the SHDM will also contribute $1.3 million towards the project’s implementation. SHDM experts have also been involved in developing this project since the building was bought back, after the Musée Juste pour rire ceased its activities.

For its part, the Ville de Montréal will invest in the transaction with a contribution of $824,000 aimed at covering the operating and maintenance expenses of the building since September 2011.

Mrs. Élaine Ayotte, responsible for culture, architectural heritage and design at the Ville de Montréal Executive Committee, stated that “This is a critical step forward to relocate the 7 doigts de la main circus troupe in the Quartier des spectacles district. It demonstrates our commitment to promoting the circus arts. This inspiring, audacious and highly creative organization contributes to Montréal’s prestige. Its presence in a strategic area of the downtown core will enrich Montréal’s cultural hub.”

Ms. Johanne Goulet, Director general of the SHDM, adds “We are delighted to be able to contribute to the growth of our artistic community and to play our true role as a strategic agent of economic, social and cultural vitality, through our real estate expertise. The commitment of the SHDM in this project makes it possible to give new life to the city’s cultural creation and performance spaces. It is also a wonderful demonstration of our ability to facilitate the implementation of municipal policies and objectives in the field of culture.”

For M. Nassib El-Husseini, general Director of 7 doigts de la main, the acquisition of this building is a turning point for the company, which after 11 years of activity will finally be able to consolidate all its assets under one roof in Montréal. “For the first time, the company will have a permanent home, which means an end to the scattering of its various departments in the four corners of the city. It is the culmination of our dream to dispose of our own center for creation, performance and administration, and to be able to meet the growing needs of a company which has been performing around the world for more than a decade.”

The repurposing of the former Juste pour rire museum
In September 2011, a few months after the Musée Juste pour rire ceased its operations, the SHDM purchased the building that had housed the museum. The SHDM had the intention of maintaining the cultural vocation of the building, located at 2109-2111 Saint Lawrence Boulevard, in order to ensure the ongoing vitality of the Quartier des spectacles. Today, the company Les 7 doigts de la main is finalizing the financing to retrofit the building and materialize its project, thanks in large measure to $9 million in financing from the ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, confirmed in 2012. According to the project’s time table, the troupe should be able to take ownership in a few months, and subsequently undertake the renovation work required to occupy and exploit the building.

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Source:Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM)
Information:For the SHDM: Leslie Molko, 514 347-8584, www.shdm.org
For the Ville de Montréal: Isabelle Poulin, 514 868-3888, www.ville.montreal.qc.ca
For Les 7 doigts de la main: Fanny Perret, 514 521 4477 ext. 205, www.7doigts.com

To continue our efforts with respect to sustainable development and saving paper, the 2012 Annual Report of the SHDM is presented exclusively in an electronic format and is made available to the public at www.shdm.org/en/about/official-publications/. It can be viewed online or downloaded at your convenience. For easier reading, the document has been configured for dynamic consultation, so it is easy to navigate from one section to another by clicking on the menus shown in the table of contents, in section headers or at the bottom of the pages.

The publication of our financial statements gives us the opportunity to review the past year and assess whether objectives have been achieved. It also allows us to draw lessons for the future, which will be all the more valuable as the SHDM is preparing its 2014-2016 strategic plan.

The SHDM’s achievements in 2012 once again demonstrate its ability to fulfill its mission by centering its activities on four major objectives:

• Maintain a supply of affordable and quality rental housing, in a context where the SHDM must continue to directly subsidize its less affluent tenants despite the fact that many buildings are no longer eligible for the financial contribution of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and despite the fact that significant investments are needed to maintain and upgrade its rental housing stock.
• Facilitate home ownership and contribute to the revitalization of neighbourhoods in Montréal, by developing innovative solutions to encourage families to stay in Montréal at a time when the real estate market is rapidly changing.
• Promote the economic and cultural development of Montréal by contributing to structuring urban development projects that enhance the quality, diversity and dynamism of living environments.
• Update the governance and management of the organization, focusing on process transparency and accountability of decisions, as well as an integrated approach to risk management.

From a strictly financial perspective, the analysis of the 2012 results confirms that the SHDM continues to demonstrate responsible and prudent management that allows it to address future challenges with confidence, despite an uncertain economic reality.

You can access the document (in French only) by clicking HERE.

Please read on!

La Fabrique 125, a residential project accredited by the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) and located in the heart of the fashion and design district, at the corner of Chabanel Street and avenue de Esplanade, ranked among the three finalists in the Innovation category for the 2103 Real Estate Awards of Excellence granted by the Urban Development Institute of Québec (UDI).

La Fabrique 125 is definitely a unique and bold project, a catalyst for the revitalization of this neighborhood and a testimony to the past of the clothing manufacturing industry. By focusing on the recycling and the enhancement of the architecture of this large-area building to create New York style residential lofts, the SHDM made ??the daring wager of incorporating its goals of affordability, homeownership and urban revitalization into an innovative project where art, design and creativity are showcased.

Johanne Goulet, Executive Director of the SHDM, paid tribute to the excellent work of La Fabrique 125 promoter, 125 Chabanel Holdings inc. (Groupe Dayan), and its team of professionals consisting of design, architectural and engineering firms, including Humà Design + Architecture, Formee Studio, WorkShop Architecture, Dupras Ledoux Ing., DL Turner consultants Inc. and builder Gerpro Construction.

« By implementing innovative development projects, such as La Fabrique 125, the SHDM plays its true role as a catalyst vehicle for urban revitalization and improvement of living environments, » she said.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that the SHDM has been honored by the UDI. In 2009, the SHDM received the Real Estate Award of Excellence –Residential category component for Accès Condos, its unique formula of access to home ownership.

To visit the project look for La Fabrique 125, on the Accès Condos website or contact the sales office located at 9315 avenue de l’Esplanade (514 388-9090).