Housing Minister, Frans-Alain Durenseau, will soon announce new affordable and social housing units for Quebec City, Radio-Canada has learned.
The Quebec mayor spilled the beans during a press briefing last week. In response to a reporter's question, he said that an announcement would be made soon. All that remains is to determine the right time to bring all the participants together. You have to wait until the partners are ready
He said, This is a question of agenda.
As of now, everything points to March 15 as the date chosen for the press conference. Quebec's mayor, housing minister and Quebec federal minister Jean-Yves Duclos are expected to attend the announcement. Groups whose initiatives are approved are also invited.
The new units were granted under the Quebec Affordable Housing Program, PHAQ. Multiple sources told Radio-Canada it could be a 4-storey building with 27 housing units for homeless youth run by the La Dauphin organization, among other things.
The Minister of Housing, Frans-Alain Durensau, will soon announce several social and affordable housing projects for Quebec City. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Sylvain Roy-Roussel
The site chosen for construction runs along rue de la Pointe-aux-Livres in the Saint-Roch district. In a recent decision, the city approves a zoning amendment by regulation to allow for a change of use on this land.
Same thing with affordable housing in the former site of Bar Le Kirouac in the Saint-Sauveur district. The city has just authorized the demolition of the building to build a housing cooperative.
Other sources mention another project west of the city on the Chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois, proposed by the La Bouie firm. All these three projects were rejected by PHAQ during the last call that ended last December.
In total, there could be up to five affordable housing openings announced at this press conference.
New units
So the Quebec government is stepping on the accelerator. A final call for projects, launched last year by the Société d'Habitation du Québec, left Quebec City wanting more. 11 files submitted by Marchand administration for construction of 700 housing units. In December, the SHQ Out of total 140 housing units selected only 2 projects.
Quebec City councilor in charge of housing, Marie-Pierre Boucher, was displeased with the disappointing result. The city wants to start 500 constructions a year for social and affordable housing. The units sanctioned then did not allow this objective to be achieved.
Minister Girard announced new investments in housing last November.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Sylvain Roy Roussel
Following an economic update from Quebec's finance minister, Coalition Avenir Quebec has 2,500 new affordable housing units to distribute. Last November, Eric Girard confirmed that $1.8 billion was being added to fight the housing crisis thanks to a deal with the federal government.
In Minister Durensau's office, we have confirmed that there will be announcements soon and that many people will be concerned about the national capital without giving further details.
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