Towards the end of the fall, more than a hundred people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness will find permanent shelter in a new building in downtown Montreal. La Presse visited the site of Quebec’s largest real estate project to combat homelessness.
Updated at 12:00 p.m.
Located near the University of Quebec in Montreal, on a small street hidden between Rue Sainte-Catherine and Boulevard René-Lévesque, Le Christin stands out against the gray of the surrounding buildings. Decorated with warm colored bricks, the building brings happiness to this sector under construction, just like what it wants to project into the lives of those who will soon inhabit it.
Inside, the floors, still covered with paper, reveal their bright colors. The color is the trademark of Atelier Big City, the architectural firm commissioned by the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) to design the building. This paracommunal company, which receives no funding from the City of Montreal, has opted for architectural quality in its decision to tackle real estate projects for the homeless.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Nancy Shoiry, Managing Director of Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal, and Anne Cormier, Architect at Atelier Big City
Of course there is a cost difference if we prefer high quality materials, but in the long run this is reflected in the management costs. It’s not just about building a building, it’s about making it a living environment.
Nancy Shoiry, Executive Director, SHDM
“Architecture is important for everyone,” adds Anne Cormier, the architect responsible for the project. She is also a professor at the School of Architecture at the University of Montreal and her research and teaching focuses primarily on urban and social housing in city centers. Despite the lack of space, she wanted to design bright and pleasant rooms for a clientele that partly lived across the street and then in residential buildings.
A decision that will have a real impact on residents, believes the general director of Accueil Bonneau, a partner in the project. “If we want to escape homelessness, achieve housing stability and social reintegration, we need places that are interesting,” says Fiona Crossling.
For the architect Anne Cormier, the urban presence of the building is also important. “There is no reason for buildings to be ugly. That doesn’t do anyone any favors. The architecture is constantly present in the city and is preserved for a long time. »
A demolished listed building
This project was built on the ruins of Riga, an SHDM building that included affordable housing. Signed in 1914 by architect Joseph-Arthur Godin, Riga was one of Montreal’s rare Art Nouveau buildings and was considered “exceptionally valuable” by the Ville-Marie district. Faced with the state of disrepair, the SHDM began remediation until structural failure was discovered, which ended the repair work. The structure lacked columns and frames and would have had to be completely renovated to meet current standards, the SHDM argues.
It was a difficult decision that we had to defend in city and district committees. Yes, the building might have had some historical value, but we are making it a social project to help people who don’t have this offer in the current market.
Nancy Shoiry, executive director of SHDM
When the four-storey building was demolished in 2019, the SHDM had indicated that it would do whatever was necessary to leave a legacy. However, the allusion to the old building is subtle. “Various scenarios were examined,” said Julien Serra, spokesman for the SHDM. Based on studies and budgets, it was decided to give priority to the realization of the project and the needs of future tenants. The connection to Riga lies in the architectural concept itself, i.e. in the uniqueness of the building in its immediate surroundings. He states that the SHDM is considering incorporating a mention of the original building using a QR code or an inscription visible from the outside.
More living space
The pursuit of densification and space optimization has made it possible to increase the number of apartments. From 65 in Riga, the number rose to 114 in the new building, largely thanks to the addition of three floors. The interior is divided into two sections. On one side, small studios with an area of 21.6 m2 (approx. 230 ft2) with a kitchenette and bathroom, intended for single men. On the other hand, there are slightly larger units ranging from 25.8 m² (approx. 280 ft²) to 37 m² (approx. 400 ft²²) with one or two bedrooms that can be shared by two people, men or women. Couples or roommates.
“We are seeing more and more different profiles knocking on our doors,” observes Anna Torres, clinical coordinator of accommodation services at Accueil Bonneau. We wanted a project that focused on social diversity. The profiles of the people chosen by the organization to live there will be different. Men, women, refugees and asylum seekers, seniors and young adults from the DPJ, indigenous people or people from the LGBTQ+ community can meet each other.
The building, which will double the housing offer at Accueil Bonneau, will accommodate people willing to live in greater autonomy but who still need psychosocial support. Speakers from Accueil Bonneau will be on site. According to the director general, the project will help reduce congestion in other buildings managed by Accueil Bonneau and other organizations.
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ATELIER BIG CITY
In this image we see the tall planters placed to create privacy on the ground floor where the speakers’ offices and a common room have been set up.
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ATELIER BIG CITY
The back of the building faces the small Rue Savignac.
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An investment of 23.5 million
With construction delayed by several months due to the pandemic, the first tenants, who pay rent at 25% of their income through the Rent Supplement Program, are now expected to move in this fall. Although the SHDM has a mandate to provide private or community rental housing at affordable prices, it has never implemented a social housing project for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. “We hope it will serve as an example to show that such projects can be carried out,” says Nancy Shoiry. It is important but requires a lot of effort. We are still working hard to secure financing today. Almost $23.5 million was invested in the project. The financially independent SHDM also assumes the operating deficit, which is estimated at $280,000 per year.
In its Montreal Homeless Action Plan 2014-2017, the City of Montreal identified SHDM as a partner in the creation of 1,000 housing units for vulnerable or homeless people. A target of 200 new housing units was then set for the SHDM. This goal will almost be achieved since, in addition to the 114 residential units in Le Christin, in the coming months the company will inaugurate two other projects of 54 and 25 residential units, managed by two other organizations, namely the Maison du Père and Chez Doris.