Housing sent from heaven

As they saw the numbers of their congregation drop, the sisters decided to sell their Villa du Rosaire. According to advisor Jocelyn Ann Campbell, who brought the Villa Raimbault file to the City of Montreal, the Sœurs de la Providence chose to wait until they could sell the property at 12430 de la Miséricorde to a non-profit organization.

The opportunity came up when the Bordeaux-Cartierville Health and Social Services Centre (HSSC) initiated an affordable housing project for seniors with reduced autonomy. According to Dr. Robert Laurin, administration council president of Villa Raimbault, the building would have 64 three-room apartments, with part of them available for rent at 85% of the neighbourhood average.

“It responds to a need in the community. In the neighbourhood, the proportion of senior citizens is higher than the Montreal average,” said Laurin. While there are currently places available – some of which are private – intended for people who are completely autonomous or non-autonomous, there is “nothing in place for people with reduced autonomy,” explained Laurin. A person with reduced autonomy has a certain amount of independence, but has some problems with mobility and has difficulty preparing his or her meals, for example. The HSSC will be in charge of determining who could live in the Villa Raimbault.

There will be no medical personnel or other employees on duty all day. The building, however, will have a cafeteria where the residents must have at least one meal every day. There will also be a common room and a laundromat. The building’s exterior will also be appropriately set up for the residents. “A particular attention will be paid to the landscaping. It will be a good example of urban integration, because we want to preserve the architecture of this nice property,” said Campbell.

While the sale is not yet finalized, Laurin said it will be completed shortly. The City of Montreal and the provincial government are contributing funds, which will fulfill part Quebec’s promise to establish 2,000 affordable housing units across the province.

“It’s a turn-key project for us,” explained Laurin. “The developer will present us with the plans, which we will need to approve; they’ll buy the building, do the work, and then we buy it back once the renovations are complete.” This process is simplified by the housing technical resource group, Bâtir son quartier, which is operating as a negotiator between the City of Montreal and the contractor. Bâtir son quartier will step back once everything is finalized, and the administrative council will be in charge of the building’s management and administration.

During the February borough meeting, when Campbell confirmed the project, the members of the community were happy to hear the news. However, according to Laurin, the chance to see more housing projects of the sort happen in the neighborhoods is slim. “It’s a unique case. We had to go to city hall to fight for our 64 units. We were lucky to get chosen. We were able to show that there is a real need, and that our board of administrators was solid,” he said.

The Villa Raimbault should be ready for its first tenants in February 2009.

(Translated by Elyse Amend)