500 PLANTS TO CELEBRATE THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF HABITATIONS LE DOMAINE'S ACQUISITION BY GÉRER SON QUARTIER Français
The 726 units in this residential family complex help keep rents affordable in the city
MONTRÉAL, June 23, 2022 /CNW/ - The social economy enterprise Gérer son quartier, in partnership with the Groupe de ressources techniques Bâtir son quartier, is proud to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the acquisition of Les Habitations Le Domaine, a residential complex in the Montréal borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. The purchase of this vast property is owed to an innovative financing structure put in place by partners committed to making a difference in social housing: Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ, Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon, Caisse Desjardins des Travailleuses et Travailleurs unis and the Government of Canada through CMHC.
To mark this event, Gérer son quartier, accompanied by Soverdi, has begun a mass planting project of 433 trees and 67 shrubs in this micro-neighbourhood of 726 affordable, quality housing units spread across 111 buildings, which are home to more than 2,000 people. This initiative is in line with the organization's mission to improve tenants' quality of life, transform the environment, reduce heat islands and promote social inclusion. The planting of 500 trees and shrubs at Habitations Le Domaine is part of a greening project launched in 2021 following the City of Montréal's adoption of Climate Plan 2020-2030, from which Gérer son quartier has benefited through Soverdi and its partners.
On hand for the start of the planting were Richard Campeau, MP for Bourget and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change, Pierre Lessard Blais, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Borough Mayor, and William Gaudry, Riding Office Manager of the Hochelaga MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion.
Also present were Michel Taylor, President of Gérer son quartier, Edith Cyr, Managing Director of Bâtir son quartier and Gérer son quartier, Marika Leclerc, Director of Gérer son quartier, Normand Bélanger, President and CEO of the Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ, Nathan Cohen-Fournier of the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon, Mario Aylwin, General Manager of the Caisse Desjardins des Travailleuses et Travailleurs unis, Malin Anagrius, General Manager of Soverdi, and Nilson Zepeda, CRE-Montréal's Coordinator of the interventions in local environment and urban architecture (ILEAU) campaign.
The site
Bounded by Hochelaga Street to the south, Marseille Street to the north, Repentigny Street to the west and Langelier Boulevard to the east, the family residential complex consists mostly of apartment buildings built between 1957 and 1959. Habitations Le Domaine is close to the Langelier metro station, a park, the St-Donat arena, and numerous services, including a shopping centre, elementary and high schools, and various public services.
"We are proud of this project, which is in line with the vision of Gérer son quartier and its board of directors to create inclusive and supportive living environments. We thank all the partners involved in the acquisition of Habitations Le Domaine and this greening phase."
Michel Taylor, President, Gérer son quartier
"Community housing is a pillar of our society. The acquisition of this vast housing complex five years ago makes it possible for lower-income households to have quality housing at affordable rents in a vibrant neighbourhood. The aim of the greening initiative is to help transform the environment, reduce heat islands and promote social inclusion. I would like to thank all of our partners for their contribution, confidence in us and ongoing support for our mission. Developing and preserving social and community housing is important in this environment marked by a housing crisis and an overheating market."
Édith Cyr, General Manager, Bâtir son quartier and Gérer son quartier
"Offering quality housing to all types of households is an important, and above all, profitable investment for the 735,000-odd shareholder-savers of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. This is why we have also been investing in social real estate for 30 years. At Habitations Le Domaine, 83% of the rents are less than or equal to the median rent in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough and more than 75% of the units have 2 or 3 bedrooms for families. I would like to congratulate the teams for their efforts to provide tenants with quality service."
Normand Bélanger, President and CEO, Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ
"Five years after the acquisition of Les habitations Le Domaine, we are happy to see that this residential complex is still as dynamic as ever and constantly seeking to improve the living conditions of its residents. In the current context, it is vital to make rent affordable. However, having affordable units is not enough: what we need is truly welcoming and inclusive living environments. We know that climate change disproportionately affects the most vulnerable. By reducing heat islands by planting trees and shrubs, the greening initiative helps create quality living environments in the neighbourhood."
Dominique Frenette, Vice-President, Investments, Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon
"Caisse Desjardins des Travailleuses et Travailleurs unis is proud of its partnership forged with Gérer son quartier in 2017 for the acquisition of Habitations Le Domaine. Supporting a social economy enterprise to provide the community with affordable social housing aligns with our values and mission. In 2021, through a contribution from our community development fund, we became a major financial partner in the Le Domaine greening project. Naturally, we are very happy to contribute to the planting of 500 trees and shrubs to commemorate the 5-year anniversary of the acquisition in order to support sustainable development and visually enhance the neighbourhood and quality of life of its residents. We would like to thank and congratulate all those involved for their efforts."
Mario Aylwin, General Manager, Caisse Desjardins des Travailleuses et Travailleurs unis
"The right to shelter is a fundamental right. The housing crisis is very real: too many people are struggling to find or afford a place to live. Everyone deserves to have a healthy, safe and affordable place to call home. I am very pleased that federal investments through CMHC are supporting projects like Gérer son quartier. Our goal is to increase the supply of affordable, accessible and quality housing for all."
Soraya Martinez Ferrada, MP for Hochelaga and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion
"We are pleased to work with Gérer son quartier on this socially valuable greening project, which is representative of the kind of work we will be doing in the years ahead. Working with rental building managers committed to providing pleasant living spaces where their residents can meet and forge ties is the very essence of our mission. The involvement of property owners, who represent two thirds of the territory, is absolutely essential to change the map of Montréal's heat islands from red to green."
Malin Anagrius, General Manager, Soverdi
"The Conseil régional de l'environnement de Montréal (CRE-Montréal) is proud to work with Gérer son quartier and its partners on the greening objectives of this residential complex, which can help improve the canopy, biodiversity and conviviality for the benefit of residents and all citizens. This development strategy proposed by Gérer son quartier is perfectly in line with our vision of the territory and thus contributes to collective efforts to begin the ecological transition and face the climate crisis. As a result of the possibilities created by these outdoor spaces, we envision implementing a master plan that will make it possible to move forward in this goal and make it an example to follow for other rental property owners. Congratulations to the team at Gérer son quartier and all the partners."
Nilson Zepeda, Coordinator of the CRE-Montréal ILEAU campaign
Gérer son quartier is a social economy company founded in 1996 on the initiative of Bâtir son quartier to offer a community property management service in the neighbourhoods where it is active and where no such service exists. The organization manages 2,783 housing units in Greater Montréal, including 821 units which it owns. www.gerersonquartier.com
Created in 1991, the Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ promotes economic growth and employment in Québec by strategically investing in profitable and socially responsible real estate projects in partnership with other industry leaders. The Fonds immobilier backs residential, office, commercial, institutional and industrial projects of all sizes across Québec. The Fonds immobilier backs mixed-use, residential, office, commercial, institutional and industrial projects of all sizes across Québec. As at December 31, 2021, the Fonds immobilier had 54 projects worth $4.9 billion in development or construction that will create some 40,000 jobs, along with 84 portfolio properties under management, 1.8 million square feet of land for development and $146 million allocated to affordable, social and community housing. The Fonds immobilier is a member of the Canada Green Building Council — Québec division. www.fondsimmobilierftq.com
The mission of the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon is to prevent poverty by contributing to the educational success of young Quebecers (from early childhood through to age 17) and helping them develop their full potential. To this end, the Fondation provides long-term support for organizations and associations working together to actively develop their capacity for sustainable initiatives aimed at promoting the educational success of all children living in Québec. www.fondationchagnon.org
As Canada's authority on housing, 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 by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
It is in the context of a postwar economic boom that workers began establishing savings and credit cooperatives adapted to their needs. While modest at first, cooperatives quickly became successful, leading to their development and growth. They became major players in the workplaces where they were established. Given their particular situation, they are greatly dependent on the economic realities of the businesses and sectors where they were born. Caisse d'économie des Travailleurs unis was created in 2005. Today, it represents more than 16,000 members from 8 major sectors and handles close to $1.35 billion million in business under management. It has a presence throughout Québec, in 6 financial service centres: Montréal, Ville Saint-Laurent, Trois-Rivières, Contrecoeur, Gatineau and Fermont.
www.caissetravailleur.ca
The Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain (Soverdi) is a non-profit organization that works to implement urban greening strategies in order to expand the urban forest and improve residents' health and quality of life. Since 2012, over 85,000 trees have been planted on private and institutional lands in Montréal with the help of its partners in the Urban Forest Alliance and support from the City of Montréal and urban forest leaders. Under Climate Plan 2020–2030, Soverdi is now coordinating the planting of 200,000 trees on the City's non-municipal lands by 2030. www.soverdi.org
SOURCE Fonds de solidarité FTQ
Mériem Mennai, Head of Communications, Bâtir son quartier, Mobile: 438 989-4215, [email protected]
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