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The governments of Quebec and Canada, in collaboration with Mission Unitaînés, are proud to announce that their partnership will exceed initial expectations regarding housing for independent seniors. Ten 100-unit buildings were planned in 10 cities across Quebec, but an 11th project will now be built in Mascouche. The number of social and affordable housing units to be built is now 1,100, based on the same budget.
The 100-unit building in Mascouche represents a government investment of $21.5 million, in addition to the contribution from the City of Mascouche, which is providing the land and certain breaks on taxes and utility connection costs. A philanthropic donation from Luc Maurice will round out the funding package.
The work should be completed by spring 2026. Upon its completion, the Office municipal d’habitation de la Rive Nord (OMHRN) will manage the building and select the residents. The OMHRN will also ensure maintenance of the building using the $500,000 reserve fund provided by Mission Unitaînés. The monthly rent will be set at about $650 for a bachelor apartment and $1,000 for a two-bedroom unit with heat and electricity, including telecommunications services and appliances.
The announcement was made by France-Élaine Duranceau, Quebec Minister Responsible for Housing, and Mathieu Lemay, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks and Member of the National Assembly for Masson. They were accompanied by Guillaume Tremblay, Executive Vice-President of the Union des municipalités du Québec and Mayor of Mascouche, Caroline Sauriol, President and CEO of Mission Unitaînés, and Isabelle Couture, General Manager of the Office municipal d’habitation de la Rive Nord.
Quotes:
“We know that it’s important for seniors to be able to live independently with their family and friends. The partnership between Mission Unitaînés and the municipalities, supported by funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec, will allow more seniors to enjoy a safe and stable environment in their community.”
“I’ve often said that we need to innovate to build more and better housing, especially given the current housing crisis. “I was convinced that the partnership with Mission Unitaînés would pay off, and today I am pleased to announce that the initial expectations will be exceeded. This collaboration with Mission Unitaînés is proof that our government is taking concrete action, together with our federal partner and the municipalities, to better house our seniors in Quebec. I continue to be excited by this ambitious project, which mobilizes stakeholder expertise to very quickly build quality affordable housing. I am determined to deliver results for all Quebecers.”
“I am honoured to announce that the 11th of the 10 Mission Unitaînés housing projects will be started in Mascouche. This building will provide our community with a new affordable living environment for independent seniors by the summer of 2026. I would like to thank all the partners for their exceptional collaboration on this project, which meets our community’s needs, and I would like to recognize Luc Maurice’s philanthropic donation. Once again, we are taking an important step in improving the supply of affordable housing in our area.”
“We are proud to have this project in Mascouche as it is fully aligned with our commitment to increase the supply of social and affordable housing in the city. Our objective is clear: enable each person to find a dwelling that meets their needs and is in keeping with their financial means. With this in mind, the City Mascouche was the first to create a housing fund in 2023 that was used to acquire land for this project. I would like to recognize the contributions of Mr. Maurice, from the Unitaînés team, as well as all the partners who will be providing low-income seniors with a quality living environment in an area with local services.”
“This project is a perfect example of my commitment to improving the well-being of seniors by providing them with an environment where they feel safe, free and happy. I am pleased to contribute my expertise to this innovative project. We are particularly proud to have exceeded the initial objectives thanks to the exceptional collaboration of an entire team for this innovative project. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone participating in this ambitious initiative, ensuring its rapid completion for less privileged seniors.”
“We are pleased to be part of this collaboration with the City of Mascouche and Mission Unitaînés in this new project. This initiative is intended to give our community access to quality, low-cost buildings. This promising journey marks the beginning of a new era for our city. To all our partners, thank you for your trust and commitment. We look forward to seeing the positive results of this ambitious project.”
Highlights:
- This living environment will include 100 adaptable housing units for people with reduced mobility. Equipped with two elevators, sprinklers, an emergency generator and a scooter parking area, it will also include a multi-purpose air-conditioned common room, an outdoor patio and landscaping to foster socialization among residents.
- A multi-stakeholder, innovative and efficient partnership
Thanks to an investment of close to $235 million by both levels of government, ten 100-unit buildings were planned to be built in 10 Quebec cities. As a result of a significant economy of scale and the partners’ expertise, the buildings will be built in 11 cities, including Mascouche.
The government funding is tied to the $992 million in federal funding provided to Quebec through the Canada – Quebec Agreement under the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) and new investments of $992 million announced by Quebec in its fall 2023 and 2024 economic updates.
The contribution of each municipality involved in a construction project is between $3 million and $5 million, either in kind or in the form of a financial contribution. This includes the transfer of land ready to build on, a three-year tax exemption starting on the transfer date of the land with the building and a building permit (or equivalent subsidies) and utility connections.
The charitable organization Mission Unitaînés will be responsible for designing and constructing the 11 buildings. At completion, the organization will provide the municipality, or a non-profit organization designated by the municipality, with a building ready for commissioning for a nominal fee and no mortgage. In addition, each building will have a $500,000 reserve fund from a philanthropic donation by Luc Maurice, Chair of the Board of Directors of Mission Unitaînés. Other partners will complement the funding with philanthropic contributions to enhance the residents’ quality of life.
Thanks in particular to economies of scale and the partners’ expertise, this new model has the advantage of creating 1,100 units at a lower cost than the units the Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ) is currently developing in several Quebec regions. It also ensures that the buildings will be debt-free.
About the Société d’habitation du Québec:
As a leader in housing, the SHQ’s mission is to meet the housing needs of Quebecers through its expertise and services to citizens. It does this by providing affordable and low-rental housing and offering a range of assistance programs to support the construction, renovation and adaptation of homes, and access to homeownership.
To find out more about its activities, visit www.habitation.gouv.qc.ca/english.html.
Follow us on: Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
About Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation:
Visit Canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information.
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 everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) website. The Housing and Infrastructure Project Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.
Source:
Justine Vézina
Press Secretary to the Minister Responsible for Housing
justine.vezina@habitation.gouv.qc.ca
Information on this news release:
Media Relations
Société d’habitation du Québec
medias@shq.gouv.qc.ca
Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca
Media Relations
Mission Unitaînés
514-995-9704
jmeloche@national.ca
