Montreal,
Major affordable housing owner-developers in the Greater Montreal area have come together to form the Alliance des corporations d’habitations abordables du territoire du Québec (ACHAT). In the face of an unprecedented housing crisis affecting the entire province, ACHAT aims to significantly increase the availability of social mission housing—both by acquiring existing properties and building new ones.
Strength through unity
The seven founding members of ACHAT (Corporation Mainbourg, Espace La Traversée, Hapopex, Interloge, SHAPEM, SOLIDES, and UTILE) are well-established social economy housing enterprises that have been deeply rooted in their communities for many years. These organizations share a mission of affordability rather than profit, contributing to the preservation of sustainable living environments free from renovictions and short-term tourist rentals such as Airbnb. ACHAT has the on-the-ground expertise and resources to acquire and build thousands of new units each year in the Greater Montreal area.
“It is with a sense of duty and responsibility toward vulnerable populations and future generations that we unite today to protect quality of life and inclusiveness in our neighbourhoods. We are responding to the call from communities, municipalities and governments for concrete and lasting solutions to the housing crisis. To succeed, we will need support, including financing mechanisms that are both effective and adapted to today’s market realities, as well as increased support for the growth of our organizations,”
— Sébastien Parent-Durand, Managing Director, ACHAT.
Doing more with every dollar
Through the social mission model, ACHAT’s members maximize the public investments entrusted to them by offering residents housing that remains permanently affordable. While rents continue to rise in the private market, social mission housing remains accessible thanks to property management practices focused on long-term viability and sustainability.
These homes meet the needs of families, seniors, newcomers, students, single parents, people with disabilities, low-income households, individuals with mental health challenges, and those undergoing social reintegration. To date, many partners from the community, private, public, and philanthropic sectors have joined forces with ACHAT in advancing this mission.
“We must remain agile to adapt to new realities in housing and to meet the tremendous needs created by the housing crisis. Pooling our expertise in housing development and management, including our project financing strategies, is a major step forward for the collective housing sector. We are ready to support the implementation of the new Metropolitan Housing Policy of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, and we extend our hand to all public stakeholders to set and achieve ambitious targets for new housing creation,”
— Louis-Philippe Myre, Chair of the Board, ACHAT, and Executive Director, Interloge.
About ACHAT
ACHAT’s seven founding members (Corporation Mainbourg, Espace La Traversée, Hapopex, Interloge, SHAPEM, SOLIDES, and UTILE) are united by the goal of accelerating the creation of social mission housing. Their purpose is to provide residents with permanently affordable housing—not to generate profit—in line with a philosophy of creating collective wealth. Through coordinated action, ACHAT contributes to tackling the housing crisis in Quebec.
Source: ACHAT – Alliance des corporations d’habitations abordables du territoire du Québec
Contact: Noémie Laurendeau – COPTICOM, Strategies and Public Relations – 438-826-5816
Fact Sheet
- Our founding members are Corporation Mainbourg, Espace La Traversée, Hapopex, Interloge, SHAPEM, SOLIDES and UTILE.
- We own 3,800 housing units, mainly located in Quebec, and are currently working to expand our social mission housing stock to more than 6,000 units by 2025. Our objective is to bring together the right conditions to significantly accelerate this growth.
- We have the on-the-ground expertise and resources to acquire and build thousands of social mission housing units per year in Quebec.
- Our rents are permanently affordable and are generally at least 20% below the median rent. Our affordability index improves over time, as our rents increase more slowly than those in the private rental market.