City on track to delivering needed affordable and social housing
The City of Laval says the first year of its 2020-2022 Action Plan for Housing yielded positive results, with a set goal of 1,000 affordable or social housing units being well within range by the time the target date is reached.
According to the city, most of the goals set for 2020 were reached, despite the COVID-19 pandemic which presented many unexpected barriers.
Much to accomplish
“In 2020, 59 actions were carried out or started out of 68 which were planned to take place over three years in the Action Plan of the Policy for Housing,” said Laval city councillor Nicholas Borne who handles housing dossiers.
“Several of these accomplishments are helping to increase the number and quality of social or affordable housing units,” he added. “To date, 497 units have been built or are in progress, and 176 units have received a financial commitment.
Immense needs
“Despite this encouraging report, we know full well that the needs remain immense. That is why we are pursuing our efforts to obtain the necessary government financial support in otder to catch up and to meet needs, which are greater than ever.”
Among the things the city says were accomplished in the housing dossier so far are the obtention of $20 million in subsidies from Quebec’s AccèsLogis program, and the ongoing development of almost 400 new social housing units at the Val-Martin site in Chomedey.
New social housing
The new social housing is to be delivered on this basis: 124 units now delivered and occupied since December 2019/January 2020; 160 units now being completed, with delivery scheduled for early 2022; and 75 housing units and a community centre now under development with no fixed date provided by the city.
‘To date, 497 units have been built or are in progress, and 176 units have received a financial commitment,’ says city councillor responsible for dossier Nicholas Borne
As well, says the city, $3.8 million has been set aside for lands to be dedicated for use to build social housing; the setting up of a new housing search system (SARL) to help Laval residents find non-subsidized housing; support for the implementation of Accès logement Laval, another search service to find subsidized housing; and the creation of a new housing section on the City of Laval website, bringing together comprehensive information on the topic.
Adoption of new policy
The city says it will be prioritizing the adoption of a fiscal policy for housing to allow the establishment of a reserve of lands set aside for social housing while better defining their availability.
It will also be adopting a new urban planning code, which will be contributing to the improvement of the quality of residential projects, while facilitating the implementation of social and affordable housing projects.
At the same time, the city says it is working towards the adoption of several large-scale PPU urban planning programs in Laval’s downtown and in Sainte-Rose, in order to elaborate development in these sectors, which will include more extensive planning for social and affordable housing.
