The City of Montreal has reached an important milestone in the development of its transitional modular housing project. Today, the Executive Committee of the Ville de Montréal authorized the awarding of a $3.2 million contract to RCM Modulaires for the purchase of prefabricated buildings to house 90 vulnerable people waiting for social housing, whose situation is stable. The Ville de Montréal thus confirms an increase of 30 people in the capacity of this project, which had been identified as a priority by the administration.
The contract calls for the supply, delivery and installation of six 17-room dormitory buildings on three separate sites. As announced last December, the sites selected for the deployment of these units are 50, rue Louvain Ouest, in the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, as well as a portion of the former Hippodrome site in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. A third site has been identified by the city to increase the capacity of the initial project. This modular project is designed to provide temporary accommodation for people awaiting the construction of the expected social housing units. Sites owned by the City of Montreal dedicated to social housing will therefore be maximized until the permanent units can be built.
The buildings to be purchased at a favourable price are high-quality modular dormitories that were used by Hydro-Québec for the construction of the La Romaine hydroelectric power station in Quebec. It's worth noting that these units are already fitted out according to requirements, i.e. all furniture is included. This includes bed bases, box springs, mattresses, chairs, TV stands and small fridges, as well as a window in each room.
The units will be commissioned in spring 2025. Accompanied by community organizations that will soon be identified to manage these homes, the people housed will benefit from the support of specialized psychosocial counsellors who will accompany them in their efforts and facilitate the cordial sharing of public space.
It should be noted that the city has obtained authorization from the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation to enter into a private contract with RCM Modulaires. The file must now be presented to the agglomeration council next February.
“We are deploying a rapid solution that will enable people waiting for social housing to get off the streets quickly. In the face of the crisis, we have deployed exceptional resources to increase the project's capacity and house 90 people, 30 more than originally planned. These homes will not replace the crying need to speed up the construction of social housing, but they will alleviate the effects of the ongoing crisis while we wait for the units to be built. We were able to accelerate this project thanks to the support of the government, which remains just as essential in meeting the crying needs on the streets of Montreal and municipalities across Quebec,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.
“It's another step forward in offering transitional housing to homeless people waiting for a place in social housing. It's a temporary solution while we wait for permanent housing to be built on the lots selected to house the modular units. In the coming weeks, we'll be hard at work determining measures to ensure the harmonious integration of the facilities and identifying the players who will be able to offer the services. We are determined to put in place every possible solution to help our vulnerable population,” explained Robert Beaudry, who is responsible for homelessness on the executive committee of the City of Montreal.
