CN Workshops - Social housing: the Sud-Ouest invests $8.5 million to create over 200 new social housing units

The Sud-Ouest borough announced today an investment of more than $8.5 million towards the construction of more than 200 social housing units in the Pointe-Saint-Charles district. The announcement is part of a joint initiative with four other boroughs that have approved the use of their social housing funds to accelerate the completion of ongoing projects.

"This exceptional funding will allow more than 200 households in the Sud-Ouest to benefit from housing that meets their needs and that will remain affordable over the long term, without fear of getting evicted. These additional social housing units will be built on the site of the former CN Shops, whose redevelopment has been the object of remarkable citizen involvement. This is the result of hard work and cooperation between the borough, the developer Groupe Mach and the community," said Benoit Dorais, mayor of the Sud-Ouest borough and chairman of the Executive Committee of the city of Montréal.

The two projects financed by the Habitation Héritage de Pointe-Saint-Charles organization and the Coopérative d'habitation de la Pointe amicale will total 207 social housing units. They will be carried out by the technical resource group Bâtir son quartier, an experienced partner well established in the Sud-Ouest. These projects initially did not meet the guidelines of the previous Québec government funding envelopes and required an additional contribution to get started.

"The commitment announced today demonstrates once again our ability to innovate and our willingness to use all available means to take action so that Montréal and the Sud-Ouest remain a community where everyone can live," continued Benoit Dorais.

The former CN Shops site will eventually become a complete mixed-use living environment, including more than 7,400 square metres of parks, a community garden, a public square and one of the first blue-green alleys in Montréal. Following fruitful negotiations with community organizations and the developer of Les Cours Pointe-Saint-Charles (Groupe Mach), the Sud-Ouest borough reached an agreement in January 2021 that led to a revision of the development agreement for the former CN Shops signed in 2012.

About the CN Shops project

This large-scale project, which began in 2009, is aimed at rehabilitating a brownfield site, returning a job centre to the Pointe-Saint-Charles area, reusing, conserving and developing the former CN Shops, creating a community and cultural centre as well as implementing measures to promote public and active transportation. It will also ensure the consolidated development of an entire residential neighbourhood, in line with the Strategy for the Inclusion of Affordable Housing in Major Projects, and the creation of parks and public spaces.