Investments of close to $32.5 million in Québec - Construction of the New Maison de Lauberivière to Start in March 2019

Government of Canada (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Province of Québec (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Québec City (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

QUÉBEC, Dec. 18, 2018 /CNW/ - The governments of Canada and Quebec, along with the City of Québec announced today that construction of the future Maison de Lauberivière will start next March in the St-Roch neighbourhood of Québec. 

The new 10,000-square-metre building will have seven floors and feature 149 rooms and units for people in difficulty, as well as communal spaces and service offices. The project will require a total of nearly $32.5 million in investments, $30.4 million of which will be for the residential portion.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Andrée Laforest, confirmed that the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ) will provide a grant of over $20.5 million, of which $20.4 million will be coming through the AccèsLogis Québec program, toward the completion of this important project. The SHQ is also securing the loan taken out by the Lauberiviève organization.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), announced a contribution of close to $4.4 million through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, under the National Housing Strategy.

The Mayor of the City of Québec, Régis Labeaume, for his part, has confirmed amounts of close to $5.3 million for the construction of the building, which will be located on the block bordered by Fleurie, du Pont, X'ian and Mgr Gauvreau streets.

The new Maison de Lauberivière, which should be completed in January 2021, will provide more appropriate and secure spaces for paid staff and volunteers to offer a variety of community support services in an effective manner. Additionally, disturbances related to promiscuity will be greatly reduced, since the planned project will have individual rooms.

Quotes

"The National Housing Strategy has an ambitious goal of reducing chronic homelessness in Canada by at least 50%. This wonderful project in Québec is a concrete step in the right direction. I am proud to be part of a government that works with all partners and works collaboratively to enable all Canadians to build a better life for themselves and their communities."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

"I applaud the perseverance of the members of the Lauberiviève organization, who have made tireless efforts for years in order to create an extraordinary living environment for individuals who are experiencing homelessness or who have mental health conditions. The vital financial assistance provided by the Société d'habitation du Québec contributes to supporting people in difficulty in the Québec community." 

Andrée Laforest, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing 

"La Maison de Lauberivière is a key partner for the City in terms of community action toward fostering solidarity and a feeling of security within the community. In addition to providing food and shelter to vulnerable individuals, it breaks their isolation and shows them a path toward possible reintegration. We all win when we support la Maison de Lauberiviève and its projects."

Régis Labeaume, Mayor of the City of Québec

"Thanks to this project, we will be able to continue to fulfil our mission of welcoming any person in need with respect, love and understanding, whatever their reason for knocking on our door, and offer them services that allow them to find a solution to their situation and, if possible, to regain their independence."

Georges Amyot, President of the Board of Directors of Lauberivière

Highlights

• The building will feature 131 rooms for emergency and support services for homeless or vulnerable individuals, and 18 transitional housing units for people living with a mental health condition.
• The tenants of the 18 units will benefit from the SHQ's Rent Supplement Program, ensuring that they will not spend more than 25% of their income on housing. This additional financial assistance of nearly $310,000 over five years is assumed by the SHQ (90%) and the City of Québec (10%).
• This project is receiving an additional amount of $176,865 through the SHQ's Rénovation Québec program, an amount funded in equal shares by the City of Québec and the SHQ.
• This project is also eligible for a grant of $146,265 from Transition énergétique Québec to ensure that the building meets Novoclimat certification standards.
• The new building will be energy-efficient, with superior insulation, very-high-performance windows and a ventilation system that features high-efficiency heat-recovery.
• It should be noted that this new construction project is fully self-funding, and that no donations to the Fondation de Lauberivière, which are for community support services, were used.
• In 2017, no less than 5,000 individuals received services from Lauberivière. Nearly 25,000 overnight stays were recorded, and more than 148,000 meals were served.
• In addition to its committed staff, Lauberivière counts on over 1,000 mission supporters who volunteered close to 50,000 hours of their time last year.
• The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec are in negotiations to reach an asymmetrical agreement on the National Housing Strategy.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Sources: Karl Sasseville, Office of Minister Duclos, 613 404-2941, [email protected]; Hugo Lemay, Press Secretary to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Minister Responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region, 418-691-2015, ext. 313; Information: Catherine Léger, Public Affairs, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 514-283-3679, [email protected]; Sylvain Fournier, Communications, Société d'habitation du Québec, 418-643-4035, ext. 1113, [email protected]; Isabelle Petit, Communications, Ville de Québec, 418 641-6411, poste 2526, [email protected]

Related Links

www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca