SHERBROOKE, QC, Nov. 7, 2025 /CNW/ - Impact-driven real estate investment firm Ikigai Impact has reached a significant milestone: half of its apartments are now classified as affordable. This milestone, revealed during the company's first Annual General Meeting as a collectively owned entity, reflects the success of a private stewardship model serving a public purpose.
"This didn't happen overnight. It came building by building, partnership by partnership, through patience, reinvestment in our residents, and alignment with public and community institutions," explains Nikolai Ray, President of Ikigai Impact.
Through local collaborations -- including with the Office municipal d'habitation and local CLSCs -- and federal programs from the CMHC, Ikigai Impact has woven together a network of affordable, accessible, and social housing right in the heart of mixed-income neighborhoods.
This business model, still rare in Canada, demonstrates that it is possible to combine profitability with social mission by:
- integrating affordability directly into project design,
- prioritizing long-term ownership, and
- treating tenant dignity and security as foundations of responsible investment.
"We believe that one day, a child growing up in one of our affordable apartments may achieve something extraordinary -- simply because their family could thrive in a stable, dignified home," adds Ray.
"That possibility is why we do this work."
As Ikigai Impact approaches its sixth anniversary, the company continues to pursue its mission to enhance the well-being of over half a million low- and middle-income Canadians by 2060. It plans to keep developing innovative, sustainability-focused housing projects from the ground up, while also acquiring existing below-market apartment buildings to preserve their affordability for decades to come.
About Ikigai Impact
Founded in Sherbrooke, Ikigai Impact is a real estate investment company that combines private stewardship with a public mission. Its approach focuses on creating mixed, sustainable housing that unites market tenants with affordable housing. By reinvesting in local communities, Ikigai Impact is building a responsible real estate model centered on shared value and collective prosperity.
SOURCE IKIGAI IMPACT
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