The Plante administration is once again exercising its right of pre-emption to acquire a building and create social housing there. This time, it will cost $590,000 in the South-West borough, which will bring the total of rooms “acquired and protected from speculation” to more than a hundred.
This is what the head of housing on the executive committee, Benoit Dorais, will announce this Monday. The building in question is three stories tall and houses a rooming house with 11 units on Wellington Street, in the Pointe-Saint-Charles district.
Without giving many details on what happens next, Montreal nevertheless assures that “work will be carried out to improve the building and maintain its vocation as social housing”.
In a statement, Benoit Dorais asserts that, “through this acquisition, the City contributes to the preservation of an inclusive living environment in a sector where needs are significant.” “Thanks to the right of pre-emption, we were able to confirm, in the last year, the acquisition of 104 rooms and small accommodations in the boroughs of Sud-Ouest, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Ville-Marie and Villeray–Saint -Michel–Parc-Extension,” he continues.
“Concrete actions”
In total, these acquisitions cost the City more than 17 million. “These acquisitions are part of our concrete actions to protect existing affordable housing and sustain housing solutions adapted to vulnerable populations,” says Mr. Dorais, who is also vice-president of the executive committee and mayor of the South-West.
Earlier, in June, the City also announced the purchase of the former Gordon Gardens, in Verdun. The 99-room residence closed its doors last year and has been vacant ever since. “We know that the pressure is intense in Verdun,” said Mayor Valérie Plante in front of the Verdun district town hall. “What we try to do is protect buildings whenever we have the opportunity. »
Montreal then spent 8.1 million for the acquisition of the building, while it was worth 3.9 million according to the land roll. It was then the third time in a few months that Montreal had to break the bank to buy buildings at a price that exceeded double their property assessment.
In November, the Plante administration announced the purchase of land on rue Jarry Est for 4.75 million (municipal assessment: 1.3 million), as well as a building in poor condition on rue Bernard Est for 4 million (municipal assessment: 1.6 million).
In force for several years now in Montreal and several other municipalities, the right of pre-emption essentially allows a city to have priority over any buyer when selling a building or even land. The administration can then create social housing or develop community infrastructure, for example.
With Philippe Teisceira-Lessard, The Press
