City taking ‘concrete action’ to address housing crisis, says Mayor Stéphane Boyer
The City of Laval says it has set a new target of 2,000 social, affordable and non-profit housing units by 2028 – twice the objective established in its first housing action plan for 2020-2024.
Despite a challenging economic context, Laval says the latest acceleration is part of the city’s 2025-2028 Housing Action Plan.
The city says it has reached a clear turning point and is now positioned to play the role of facilitator, catalyst and strategic player in the creation of housing, while improving affordability and supporting more inclusive and sustainable urban development.
Setting a new housing target
The city says the new strategy will contribute to achieving a 10 per cent off-market housing target in Laval by 2031, as outlined in the Metropolitan Land Use and Development Plan of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, while also promoting a better balance in overall housing supply.
“Faced with the scale of the needs and the realities of the market, Laval is choosing to act with efficiency and innovation,” Mayor Stéphane Boyer said in a statement.
“We are doubling up on our efforts to accelerate the construction of affordable housing for every Laval resident, according to their needs and means,” he continued.
“Building on its experience, Laval intends to continue taking concrete action to address the housing crisis and sustainably improve the quality of life for its residents.”
Four projects now ready
Since 2025, according to the city, four funded projects in affordable housing have been completed in Laval, resulting in 153 new non-profit housing units. Furthermore, four other projects totaling 268 units are currently under construction, and seven projects are being funded so as to soon provide 1,450 new non-profit housing units.
“These developments enrich the existing housing supply and contribute to creating living environments adapted to the diverse needs of the population, thus helping to combat the housing crisis,” the administration says in a statement.
The City of Laval’s 2025-2028 Social Housing Action Plan, adopted by city council on April 14, “relies on concrete levers and renewed approaches to address current housing challenges,” says the city.
Regarding accelerated processes, the city says it is reducing permit issuance times and facilitating project implementation. In April 2025, nearly 80 per cent of permits were issued twice as fast as in 2021, with processing times reduced by 22 per cent to 70 per cent, says the city.
Stimulating residential construction
According to Laval, the city continues to innovate in its financial assistance methods to stimulate residential construction and support social inclusion. A tax credit program, created in 2025, encourages the creation of affordable housing in new construction and will soon support its first projects in high-growth areas – particularly in the city centre.
Furthermore, a program to support the start-up of non-profit housing projects, with an annual budget of $300,000 that was fully committed in the first year, accelerates the development phase of these projects. Laval also makes municipal land available for new housing creation projects and simplifies several regulatory procedures.
Encouraging favorable projects
To this end, the city says it leverages the potential of key sites to encourage favorable projects, one key example being the recently-announced redevelopment of the property of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Pont-Viau.
The city also provided key support for the launch of the first phase of non-profit housing at Carré Laval near the downtown sector, “thus contributing to the creation of sustainable, inclusive and exemplary living environments,” according to the city.
Completed and pending projects
The completed projects (and their hosts/co-sponsors) include:
• Archipel de L’îlot – 9 units and community spaces for suicide prevention (L’îlot)
• Shield of Athena – 17 units for women victims of violence (Shield of Athena)
• Habitation Bousquet – 26 units for people at risk of homelessness (Corporation d’habitation Laval)
• Racine – 101 family and small household units (Société de Gestion Querbes)
The projects under construction (and their host/co-sponsors):
• Maison Marie-Marguerite – 20 units for women victims of violence (Maison Marie-Marguerite)
• Curé-Labelle – 117 units for families and small households (Société de Gestion Querbes)
• Habitation Palerme – 31 units for people at risk of homelessness (Corporation d’habitation Laval)
• Mission Unitaînés – 100 units for seniors (Office municipal d’habitation de Laval)
Financing secured for more housing
The City of Laval has also obtained funding for seven additional projects to generate another 1,450 units of affordable and social housing.
• Place Joie de Vivre – 28 units for people living with intellectual disabilities and autism (Place Joie de Vivre)
• Habitation Horizon Ouest – 40 units for people at risk of homelessness (Corporation d’habitation Laval)
• Habitation Havre du Renouveau – 36 units for families and small households (Corporation d’habitation Laval)
• Val-Martin – South Block – 140 units for seniors, families, and small households (Office municipal d’habitation de Laval)
• Christ-Roi – 143 units for families and small households (Société de Gestion Querbes)
• Carré Laval – 1,013 units for families and small households (Angus Development Corporation)
• Habitation Coalition Est – 50 units for families and small households (Office municipal d’habitation de Laval)
