The governments of Canada and Quebec and the City of Montréal inaugurate a new housing project in the borough of Plateau-Mont-Royal

 MONTRÉAL, July 17, 2023 /CNW/ - The governments of Quebec and Canada, and the City of Montréal, are pleased to celebrate the inauguration of the new OHM Rachel project. This 28-room project for people with special mental health needs required an overall investment of $5.4 million.

Located at 2551 Rachel Street East, this project was developed by the non-profit organization Habitation Montréal and offers several services to these vulnerable people, including accompaniment and community support.

The OHM Rachel project was made possible thanks to the support of the Ville de Montréal and a $2.7 million financial contribution from the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ), through the AccèsLogis Montréal program, as well as a contribution of more than $820,000 from the Government of Canada, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), as part of the Canada-Québec Agreement on the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). The Québec government will also allocate SHQ rent supplements, enabling future residents to pay 25% of their income for housing. The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) will provide funding in excess of $820,000, and the Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins de Montréal will provide a mortgage loan of just over $1 million.

This announcement complements the Canada-Québec agreement on the Rapid Housing Initiative, signed in 2020. This has already led to investments of nearly $180 million in Québec, and is currently resulting in the construction of 54 social and affordable housing projects across the province.

"Our government not only supports the construction of new housing, but also ensures that it remains affordable. This is the case here, as we offer all 28 tenants the opportunity to benefit from the Société d'habitation du Québec's Québec Rent Supplement Program. This program enables them to pay rent equivalent to 25% of their income. This can make all the difference to a low-income person. This is another concrete example of our government's efforts to ensure that more Quebecers enjoy a quality living environment." - France-Élaine Duranceau, Minister responsible for Housing 

"Everyone deserves a safe, affordable home. Thanks to the Government of Canada's investments in housing, people with mental health problems who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Montréal will have more options for their social reintegration thanks to this renovation. This is just one of the many ways in which our investments in housing across the country, including here in Montréal, ensure that no one is left behind." - The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and Member of Parliament for Laurier-Sainte-Marie

"It's important to underline the recurring contribution of $80,000 per year from our government to ensure the care of the clientele who live at Maison Rachel Frontenac. I'm proud to support this promising project and this organization, which does wonderful work with vulnerable people." - Lionel Carmant, Minister responsible for Social Services

"With the help of the Rapid Housing Initiative, our government is proud to support this renovation project. This renovated 28-unit building will be a home for people with mental health problems who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. I would like to thank the partners involved in this important project. This is excellent news that meets the needs in the community and will make a real difference to the daily lives of these people." - Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing) and MP for Hochelaga

"We know that the need for affordable housing is great in Montréal, as it is throughout Québec. Our administration is taking unprecedented steps to meet these needs, but the collaboration of all levels of government, partners and community organizations is essential. Today, with the inauguration of OHM Rachel, we can see the benefits that can materialize for vulnerable citizens when higher levels of government invest in social housing." - Benoit Dorais, Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Ville de Montréal, responsible for Housing, Real Estate Strategy and Legal Affairs

"Homes like Maison Rachel enable the most vulnerable among us to regain the stability of a home where, for many, the alternative would be a shelter or a camp. It's a tool for preserving one's dignity in the midst of a housing crisis that is hitting the most vulnerable hardest. At OHM, we hope that the actions of the various levels of government will make it possible to carry out this type of project once again, given the crying need." - Claire Garnier, Secretary of Habitation Montréal's Board of Directors

"We at Atelier Habitation Montréal are proud to have actively collaborated with the OSBL Habitation Montréal (OHM) on their Maison Rachel renovation project. For many years, Atelier Habitation Montréal has been committed to preserving Montréal's rooming houses by working closely with a number of community organizations. The OHM project, inaugurated today, is a magnificent example that adds to our list of achievements over the last few years, providing housing solutions and a safe, healthy environment for residents in need." - Martin Fournier, General Manager, Atelier habitation Montréal

• Launched in 2020, the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Consult the official page of the third round of the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) for more details.
• The first two rounds of the RHI exceeded expectations and are expected to create more than 10,000 units instead of the 7,500 initially planned.
• The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable people, including women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health and addiction issues, veterans, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized groups, and recent immigrants or refugees.
• For more information on Government of Canada housing initiatives: Housing Canada.

The Ville de Montréal has consolidated its relations with housing stakeholders to tackle affordability issues. This led to the creation of Chantier Montréal abordable, a concerted effort to identify and implement targeted, effective and adapted levers of intervention to ensure the long-term affordability of the housing supply, the progress report on which was unveiled last spring.

Since 2022, 100 rooming houses in 10 boroughs have been subject to the City of Montréal's right of pre-emption. Including the rooming house on rue du Centre, five buildings have been acquired by the Ville de Montréal to preserve their vocation and affordability.

OSBL D'habitation Montréal is a community organization whose mission is to socialize private rooming houses, in order to safeguard this type of housing for people at high risk of homelessness, and to guarantee healthy housing at rents that are truly accessible to vulnerable people.

Rachel House is the first house socialized by this organization. Acquired and renovated under the Accèslogis Montréal program, it includes 28 housing units for people at very high risk of homelessness and living with mental health issues. These are individually furnished rooms, with shared bathrooms and kitchens on each floor. The community room enables activities to be organized to foster a living environment. The presence of two caregivers ensures a presence in the home for more than 10 hours a day. All tenants benefit from a rent supplement, which guarantees that their rent corresponds to 25% of their income.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation