The funding comes from the recent Canada-Quebec Agreement concerning the Fund to accelerate housing construction, to which is added the contribution of the City of Rimouski which transfers land, in addition to offering certain tax holidays and connection costs .
A donation of $500,000 from the chairman of the board of directors of Mission Unitaînés, Luc Maurice, completes the financial package. The inspiration for this project comes from the philanthropist who has more than 30 years of experience in the construction field. The man personally guarantees the construction costs, making it a low-risk project for governments and municipalities.
At the end of the construction site, the Rimouski-Neigette Housing Office (OHRN) will ensure the management and maintenance of the building with the help of a contingency fund of half a million dollars offered by the Mission Unitains organization. The OHRN will also be responsible for the selection of residents.
The announcement was made in Rimouski by the Member of Parliament for Rimouski and Minister responsible for Bas-Saint-Laurent, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, on behalf of her colleague responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau. The parliamentarian was accompanied by the president and CEO of Mission Unitaînés, Caroline Sauriol, the mayor of Rimouski, Guy Caron, and the director general of the Rimouski-Neigette Housing Office (OHRN), Alain Boulianne.
The announcement was made by Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina (3rd in order), accompanied by the mayor of Rimouski, Guy Caron, the president and CEO of Mission Unitaînés, Caroline Sauriol, and the director general of the Rimouski-Neigette Housing Office, Alain Boulianne. (Johanne Fournier/Special collaboration)
Quality housing
Equipped with two elevators, sprinklers and a parking area for scooters, the concrete building will include a multifunctional common room, an outdoor terrace and landscaping promoting socialization for residents. “Each of the apartments is of high quality and is adapted to the aging condition of the residents,” assures Ms. Sauriol. For example, the height of switches and the width of door frames will be adapted to people whose mobility may be uncertain in the coming years. The intention is that these people move in from the age of 65 and stay there as long as possible.”
The offer is aimed at people aged 65 and over who are low-income, that is, who earn around $24,000 per year. “The financial model was designed so that they could access housing which is equivalent to approximately 25% of their income,” specifies the president and CEO of Mission Unitaînés. The monthly rent will vary depending on the size of the accommodation. It is between $595 and $900 depending on the number of rooms. The price includes heating, electricity and wi-fi.
Only municipality in Eastern Quebec
Mission Unitains launched a call for interest from 30 municipalities in Quebec, identified according to a demographic profile with many low-income seniors. The very tight deadline was also an element that was considered in the selection of these municipalities.
“Our project is quite demanding,” estimates Caroline Sauriol. It’s a very quick, very efficient path, with lots of strings to tie up. We asked that the cities give up land and various tax holidays and it was first come, first served. Among the 30 cities, Rimouski showed a lot of leadership and boldness to make this project possible within very ambitious deadlines.”
The first probe into the municipal administration of Rimouski was given in October and, the following month, an initial communication was established between the Mission Unitaînés team and that of the City. “Very quickly, people from the City of Rimouski were able to contact us to offer us land,” says the organization’s spokesperson. However, we worked with them. According to Ms. Sauriol, Rimouski is the only municipality to have been selected in Eastern Quebec.
The project is aimed at municipalities with 50,000 inhabitants or more where there is a high proportion of low-income seniors. Although Rimouski may be experiencing a housing crisis with a vacancy rate of 0.2% according to statistics from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, this factor was not considered because “the shortage of housing is felt almost everywhere”, in the opinion of Caroline Sauriol. “If there are a lot of low-income seniors, it’s because they don’t have housing.”
468 seniors have been waiting for 974 days
The general director of OHRN confirms this. As of May 1, 468 active applicants aged 65 and over who are eligible for rent from the Housing Office have been waiting for an offer for housing for 974 days. Among these people waiting, 209 declare annual incomes between $21,000 and $29,000. “The announcement of 100 housing units for independent seniors will help us reduce this waiting list,” believes Alain Boulianne. We see the light at the end of the tunnel to find solutions for these people who are waiting a very long time.”
In his opinion, such a high number of people from this specific clientele is historically unprecedented for his organization. “There are demographic realities behind that,” underlines Mr. Boulianne. We have many more elderly people in Rimouski than we had 50 years ago.”
For the director of the OHRN, this housing project which specifically targets the elderly will therefore respond to a constantly growing need and will allow, de facto, to free up housing in family areas which are currently occupied by independent seniors. Alain Boulianne hopes to make this project “a community asset that quickly responds to an urgent need.”
