A non-profit student housing development group is attempting to build affordable, well-located, and co-operative housing in Montreal with funding help from Concordia University’s student union.
In a referendum in March 2015, Concordia students approved the creation of the Popular University Student Housing (PUSH) fund, which will provide cash for affordable housing options. The referendum asked for $1 from each undergraduate student per credit.
The Concordia Students’ Union (CSU) teamed up with housing group UTILE, and through the PUSH fund were able to donate $1.85 million dollars to the project last month.
The co-operative model will involve students owning a share of the company, and the maximum rental price will be set at $450 per month.
UTILE’s plan is to eventually create 4,000 new affordable units in Montreal in the next 20 years.
“[It] creates a living experience where people are engaged,” said Laurent Levesque, UTILE’s co-ordinator. “Co-operative housing ensures that the housing prices will remain affordable in the future, and reduces fear of bureaucratic relations between residents and the company”.
A CSU and UTILE 2014 report found students pay an average of $629 per month in Montreal.
Montreal is the second largest student city in North America with approximately 200,000 students, according to Terry Wilkings, general co-ordinator of the CSU. Universities provide 5,000 beds, housing only three per cent of the city’s student population.
“Students are paying more money for houses in much poorer condition than families are,” Wilkings added. “This happens because students prefer larger houses with three to five bedrooms.”
UTILE’s closest competitor is EVO Montreal, which converted a hotel into student apartments. However, the price for a bed there costs from $775 to $1,200 per month.
Although the first project will be exclusive to Concordia students, the eventual goal is to accommodate any student in Montreal.
The co-operative and student-funded model UTILE plans to follow is open to investment, which Levesque hopes will allow the company to grow. UTILE is currently looking for a plot of land in downtown Montreal to build the development.
Levesque said the UTILE model is replicable and easy to develop anywhere there is a need.
