Montréal,
The Operational Centre for the Ecological Transition of Housing (CÔTÉ Habitat) is a growing collaborative network of stakeholders working to align existing expertise and support services available to housing owners and tenants.
It offers a one-way destination for developing projects that take into account every opportunity for environmental improvement (technical, social, urban planning, financial) such as building energy and technical performance, sustainable mobility options, optimized waste management, greening of surrounding areas and rooftops, citizen participation, social dialogue, the integration of buildings within their immediate environment (streets, laneways, neighbouring lots, parks), embodied carbon, water management, and resilience to heat waves.
*“The combined crises of climate and housing demand urgent action. While programs and resources do exist to support adaptation and resilience projects in housing, they remain fragmented and difficult for citizens, homeowners and tenants to access. This fragmentation limits our collective ability to fully engage and to navigate available options with agility, particularly in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and for non-profit housing organizations,” said Sébastien Parent-Durand, Managing Director of the Alliance des corporations d’habitations abordables du territoire du Québec (ACHAT).
*“It can also be challenging for motivated citizens to envision themselves concretely in a socio-ecological transition project, leading to many missed opportunities. These opportunities could be realized if mobilization and support efforts were provided more consistently. Existing support often focuses on isolated aspects—such as energy efficiency—mainly to access grant programs, overlooking a more holistic approach that integrates complementary measures such as green infrastructure and shared mobility, to name just a few,” added Bertrand Fouss, Co-General Coordinator of Transition en Commun (TeC).
*“With this project, we aim to break down silos, pooling resources and knowledge to foster an integrated approach that will enhance the visibility of existing services, amplify their impact, and increase both the quantity and quality of projects that are part of an adaptation and climate resilience strategy. In short, we will make socio-ecological action easier for owners and tenants by offering human-scale support guided by principles of equity and sufficiency in the use of resources,” added Oriol Gavaldà, Lead Researcher for Zero-Carbon Communities at the Next-Generation Cities Institute, Concordia University.
*“For the past four years, the Centre has been running an energy efficiency support program for the community housing sector and has observed growing needs in the field. Improving the quality and durability of buildings is a powerful lever for strengthening long-term affordability, but also for expanding the supply of community housing. To meet environmental and social challenges in a structural way, it is essential to pool our resources and work together. This is why the Centre is proud to join the founding group of CÔTÉ Habitat to amplify the impact and coherence of our sector-wide interventions,” concluded Kathrine Lapalme, Development Manager – Energy Efficiency at the Community Housing Transformation Centre (CHTC).
Addressing the climate crisis
- Canada has adopted the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, aiming to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030, with a target of carbon neutrality by 2050. Nationally, 13% of GHG emissions are linked to buildings, a figure that may approach 30% when including materials and construction, according to the Canada Green Building Council.
- Quebec has adopted the Plan for a Green Economy 2030, aiming to cut GHG emissions by 37.5% below 1999 levels by 2030. According to this plan, about 10% of the province’s total emissions come from buildings, 40.5% of which are residential.
- The City of Montreal has adopted its 2020–2030 Climate Plan, aiming to cut GHG emissions by 55% below 1990 levels by 2030 (as of December 2022, the city had reached a 26% reduction), and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050—or by 2040 for the building sector. According to this plan, buildings account for 28% of the city’s total GHG emissions.
Addressing the housing crisis
- Canada has launched the National Housing Strategy, which aims, among other goals, to increase the supply of affordable and community housing by promoting its construction and renovation.
- Quebec has adopted the Quebec Housing Strategy, which aims to accelerate residential development, particularly the construction of social and affordable housing, to preserve and expand the off-market housing stock, renovate low-rent housing, and strengthen sustainable drinking water management.
- The City of Montreal is advancing its 2050 Land Use and Mobility Plan, which includes the creation of 200,000 new housing units, 20% of which will be off-market.
About the partners
Housing Lead – Alliance des corporations d’habitations abordables du territoire du Québec (ACHAT)
ACHAT is a network of collective real estate enterprises (non-profit owners, operators, and developers, housing co-operatives, and semi-public entities) unique in the national social economy network. ACHAT’s actual 25 member organizations collectively hold 10,400 units with an estimated market value exceeding $2 billion, 7,352 of which are in development. These teams bring decades of combined expertise in property management, citizen mobilization, and social entrepreneurship—skills that will help guide and support the implementation of the CÔTÉ Habitat project.
Socio-Ecological Transition Lead – Transition en Commun (TeC)
Transition en Commun is a Montreal-based alliance of more than 100 citizen, community, academic and institutional organizations committed to accelerating the socio-ecological transition of the city. Launched in 2022 in collaboration with the City, the alliance operates through democratic consultation bodies, a diversity of working groups, and a rich calendar of activities open to a wider public. Its core principle: no organization can achieve the transition alone. To meet the scale of the challenge, the transition must be collective, systemic, and grounded in local realities.
Scientific Lead – Concordia University (CU)
Concordia University is a leading institution in Montreal recognized for its innovative approach to research and education. With a focus on interdisciplinarity and collaboration, Concordia stands out for its initiatives in sustainable development, ecological transition, and urban resilience. It hosts numerous researchers engaged in applied research projects, notably through initiatives like the City School, which aims to connect academic research with the needs of civil society and local communities. Concordia will play a key role for CÔTÉ Habitat by integrating innovative measures into projects and developing monitoring tools and indicators to assess the real impact of implemented actions—ensuring both reliability and transparency of results.
Community Lead – Community Housing Transformation Centre (The Centre)
Founded in 2018 by a network of community housing organizations, the Centre is a non-profit organization dedicated to making community housing a driving force for transforming the country’s housing system. The Centre is also the financial partner and primary delivery partner for the Regional Energy Coaches (REC) program, a free service helping community housing providers (NPOs and housing co-operatives) launch, build, and operate projects that reduce their environmental footprint.
Source: Alliance des corporations d’habitations abordables du territoire du Québec (ACHAT)
Contact: Martin Simoneau
Director of Public and Government Affairs, msimoneau@achat-habitation.org