Affordability of housing is one of the biggest concerns for Montreal residents, as most citizens fear they will no longer be able to live in the metropolis by 2050.
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At least, that’s according to a report by the Office de Consultation Publique de Montréal (OCPM), which asked Montrealers to decide on the city’s future urban planning and mobility plan in 2050.
The OCPM, commissioned by the local council, confirms that this is “the most impressive public consultation in its history”.
According to the report published on Thursday, the main concern of the citizens, organizations and experts met is the affordability of housing. And for most of them, “improving the affordability and quality of housing” is one of the city’s top seven solutions to reducing social inequalities.
“Everyone agrees on densifying the city to curb urban sprawl and allow everyone to choose where they live. Above all, however, economic actors are pushing for more predictability and flexibility in regulations and procedures to increase the housing supply, while citizens and organizations are proposing a range of regulatory, financial and fiscal solutions to facilitate the preservation, creation and delivery of housing Access to social and affordable housing. “Everyone agrees on close-meshed housing planning and traffic design,” it says in detail.
Twenty recommendations
Thanks to this consultation, conducted over a 13-month period, the OCPM was able to list 4,310 citizen contributions, formulate 22 recommendations and identify the main lines that will “guide the future Urban Planning and Mobility Plan (PUM) 2050 with the aim of achieving something .” the goals of carbon neutrality and social justice”.
“It is therefore recommended to integrate six guiding principles into the PUM: social-ecological transition; appreciation of nature and protection of the environment; integrated urban and mobility planning; respect and develop the identity of the territories; civic participation and representativeness; and stable economic prosperity,” the 142-page document said.
Among the recommendations, the OCPM believes that the city “needs to prioritize the development of social and community housing and affordable housing.”
The Office also stresses the importance of “protecting the households occupying the rental housing stock, in particular by establishing a rental register”. Remember that during the last election campaign in 2021, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante committed to establishing certification for Montreal landlords with a rental registry.