Housing industry partners meet with mayor of Rimouski

Montreal, May 31, 2023 - The Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ), the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ), the Corporation des propriétaires immobiliers du Québec (CORPIQ) and the Institut de développement urbain du Québec (IDU) met with Rimouski Mayor Guy Caron to discuss recently unveiled local initiatives that will enable the municipality to stimulate the creation of new housing units and thus counter the region's housing crisis. These include, among others, a framework for the construction of detached accessory dwelling units (UHAD), the introduction of a 5-year property tax credit for the construction of affordable housing for projects of 8 units or more, and the introduction of an automatic property tax credit upon approval of affordable and social housing projects of more than 20 units.

"We are pleased to have had the opportunity to meet with housing industry partners today. Tackling the housing crisis that is sweeping the province will only be possible if the various players in the field work together. Last January, we announced a plan to combat the housing shortage, many of whose actions are directly linked to government funding. Cities must speak with one voice for the benefit of our communities and to find lasting solutions to the housing crisis," says Guy Caron, Mayor of Rimouski.

"Like many cities in Quebec, Rimouski is confronted with a major housing issue, with a vacancy rate of 0.4%. Faced with this situation and to stem the crisis, the city has chosen to act by relying on incentives rather than increased taxation. We believe this is an interesting direction to take to create more housing and promote affordability," emphasize the representatives of housing industry partners Guillaume Houle of the ACQ, Maxime Rodrigue of the APCHQ, Marc-André Plante of the CORPIQ and Jean-Marc Fournier of the IDU.  

The need for concerted action 

While the housing shortage is responsible for soaring rental housing prices and the difficulty of accessing home ownership, the only way to reduce overheating in a sustainable way is to increase supply.  Housing industry partners are looking forward to working with Quebec's municipal leaders to find solutions that will further stimulate housing construction and review the many mechanisms that are holding back new construction. 

"To improve the supply situation and establish a long-term vision that will enable us to emerge from the crisis, we believe that all players in the housing sector must roll up their sleeves and look in the same direction to find solutions to increase and accelerate the development of new housing units. The voice and role of municipalities in this context seems inescapable to us", say the industry partners.

Towards a national housing action plan 

Given that the municipal sector is facing critical housing issues without a suitable source of funding, the partners believe that the various levels of government must jointly conduct an objective examination of the challenges and issues responsible for the crisis in the housing sector. 

To address the housing shortage in all regions of Quebec, the four organizations maintain that this joint diagnosis is essential to enable government authorities at all levels to draw up a genuine action plan in which their respective actions will be complementary and coherent. Armed with these objective findings and this plan, government authorities should be able to bring together all players, social and economic, to meet the housing challenge. 

 

About the ACQ

The Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ) is the main group promoting and defending the interests of contractors in the Quebec construction industry. Over the years, it has become the largest voluntary multi-sectoral group in the industry. As the sole employer bargaining agent for all employers in the institutional, commercial and industrial sectors, the ACQ represents nearly 18,000 companies that generate more than 60% of the total hours worked and reported in the industry. In addition to playing an active and credible role in industry-wide decision making, the ACQ offers its members a wide range of tools and services through an extensive network of 10 regional associations in 17 cities across Quebec.

For information, contact:

Guillaume Houle | Media Relations

Phone: 514-354-8249, extension 2173

Cell: 514-607-7210

Email: houleg@acq.org

 

About the APCHQ

Founded in 1961, the APCHQ is a private, non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and develop the expertise of its 20,000 member companies in 13 regional associations. Through its technical, legal, occupational health and safety, labour relations and training services, as well as its government and public affairs activities, the APCHQ helps its members develop their skills and thrive in a highly competitive environment. In addition, the APCHQ has the mandate to negotiate on behalf of 16,000 employers in the housing industry for the renewal of collective agreements in the construction industry. Since 2018, the APCHQ has helped thousands of consumers find a contractor that meets their needs through trouverunentrepreneur.com, the largest directory of construction and renovation contractors in Quebec.

For information, contact:

Émilie Hermitte

Communications and Public Relations Advisor

Cell: 514-237-7096

Email: emilie.hermitte@apchq.com

 

About CORPIQ

CORPIQ is a non-profit organization that brings together 30,000 landlords and property managers who own nearly 500,000 rental units and condos. It is the largest association providing services to landlords and has been defending their interests for over 40 years. CORPIQ serves all regions of Quebec from four offices with a total of 70 employees. Quebec landlords, seven out of 10 of whom own a duplex or triplex, provide housing for 1.4 million tenant households. They are an essential link in Quebec’s housing ecosystem and social fabric, often acting as first responders to increasingly serious social problems.

For information, contact:

Marc-André Plante

Director, Public Affairs and Government Relations

Phone: 514-249-1691

Email: maplante@corpiq.com

 

About the UDI

Founded in 1987, the Urban development institute of Quebec (UDI) is an independent, non-profit organization and the leading representative of the commercial real estate industry in Quebec. The UDI develops content related to real estate and the urban landscape. It acts primarily as a partner to industry members, public authorities and all stakeholders in the commercial real estate ecosystem.

For information, contact:

Emmanuella Tchanga

Marketing and Communications Manager

Phone: 514-866-3625, extension 4

Cell: 514-291-6093

Email: etchanga@idu.quebec