Quebec releases directory of government property for affordable housing development

The Government of Quebec has launched a directory of its excess land and buildings to be made available for affordable, student, and social housing.  

Housing authorities, cooperatives, and non-profit organizations can apply to La Société d’Habitation du Québec (SHQ) for these properties. 

SHQ will evaluate whether the project fits the government housing objectives and recommend the building or land owner. Then, the property will be reserved for the promoter.

The initiative is part of the Quebec Housing Strategy, said the province. As the main criterion for selection is the speed of completion, properties will be assigned to the promoter who demonstrates they can complete the project quickly and well.

Once a building is assigned, the promoter has 12 months to complete the project financing and acquire the building. If the promoter is not ready to start the renovation or construction after a year, the building is put back in the directory, said the province.

Over the last few years, building costs have skyrocketed, making it difficult to build affordable housing. Having the land or the building at no cost makes a large difference when fixing the rent.  

This initiative will help increase the proportion of housing units owned by the non-profit sector. The figure of 20 per cent is often cited as a target that would ease real estate speculation and slow price growth. 

During pre-budget consultations in Quebec and Canada, the housing non-profit group l’ACHAT proposed awarding non-profit developers bonus points during calls for tender. This would help increase non-market supply to the 20 per cent target.

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