Latest news with #PlateauMontRoyal
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Quebecers can wait years to get into co-op housing. So why isn't there more?
Relics of a long life are scattered throughout Dimitri Roussopoulos's 19th-century home. The 88-year-old has lived in the two-storey townhouse since 1972, where he and three other residents together pay less than $1,000 a month. "I often travel and people say, 'where do you get the money for travelling?' I say, 'well, I don't have to pay a mortgage,'" he says. Roussopoulos is one of the founders of Canada's largest housing co-operative development, the Milton Park Community, in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. The network spans six square blocks, with 616 housing units, 146 residential buildings and two commercial buildings. Since co-op members own the property, no one has to worry about being evicted or the building being sold — as long as they follow the rules. "I have a sense of ownership, I have a sense of security," says Roussopoulos. "I feel my personality enriched. I feel healthier in every way, physically and mentally." According to the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF), forms of social housing, including co-ops, make up less than four per cent of Canada's housing stock. It can also take years for a co-op housing unit to become available. In Quebec, wait times can range from one to two years, according to the Confédération québécoise des coopératives d'habitation (CQCH). How do co-ops work? In a housing co-op, members are co-owners and vote on how the building is managed. Generally, housing co-ops are divided into two categories: non-profit and equity co-ops. In the latter, you buy a share of a building, which can gain value over time. Non-profit co-ops are much more common in Canada. In those, you don't build equity — instead, you pay a monthly fee that covers building expenses and maintenance. When you leave, your unit goes to someone else. That means residents can pay significantly under market rate for housing — depending on the city, province and structure of the co-op. WATCH | How does a housing co-op work?: CHF Canada says there are about 95,000 co-op housing units in Canada, most of which were developed two generations ago. "In the 1970s and 80s there was robust federal and provincial investment in new co-operative housing supply," explains Tim Ross, executive director of CHF Canada. "That investment slowed down due to policy decisions by governments in the 80s and 90s, to first cut and then eliminate social housing funding." More government funding Different levels of government have scaled up funding for co-op housing in recent years. Last year, the federal government launched the Co-op Housing Development Program, setting aside $1.5 billion in contributions and loans to build and expand co-ops. In a statement, a spokesperson for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada says the government "recognizes the essential role that non-market housing, including co-operative housing, plays in fulfilling many Canadians' housing needs." It adds that low-cost loans and forgivable loans for new and existing co-op units are available through the Affordable Housing Fund. Quebec's Housing Ministry also says housing co-ops "are an important model in Quebec's housing supply ecosystem." In a statement, a ministry spokesperson said funds are available through a variety of programs, including the Quebec Affordable Housing Program. Last year, the City of Montreal announced it would sell its land — usually vacant lots or parking lots — at a break-even price if it is being used to build off-market housing. Quebec's CQCH says it's a good start, but a far cry from government investments in the 70s and 80s. General director Sandra Turgeon says that if governments are serious about developing this kind of housing, they'll have to provide a lot more funding long term. She adds that government programs can be tough to navigate and tend to favour long-established co-ops over new ones. "The co-op needs to have experience," she says. "You have to already be big to get bigger." Hurdles to starting new housing co-ops Professor Avi Friedman heads McGill University's affordable homes research group. He says starting a new co-op can be time-consuming and complicated. The process starts with establishing a co-op entity and acquiring funding. "A group of people need to get together and if they build their own property, they need to hire to find a site and to buy the site, get permits to build and so on. These are processes that usually are very cumbersome and long," he says. The CQCH adds that residents won't save as much in newly established co-ops as ones established years ago. Turgeon says residents in new co-ops will pay closer to the current market rate, minus whatever government funding is available. She argues the process is still worth it. "We work for the future. It's a little bit expensive now, but it will stay at the same price in future years and your income will increase," she says. Ross believes the best approach is to scale up existing housing co-ops, rather than starting new organizations altogether. "They have a track record and a balance sheet from which to work with, so that does create a more advantageous situation when it comes to new development," he says. Not for everyone Friedman says that the democratic nature of a co-op isn't something everyone will find appealing. "We are individualistic in nature," he explains. "People want to own their own property, to be suburban. Once they move in, there can be issues with getting along, how to share things and so on." Roussopoulos admits that co-op members may butt heads at times, but the sense of community makes it all worth it. "People talk to each other. They know each other on a first-name basis and that creates a whole atmosphere where you feel great comfort."
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Man, 49, in hospital after stabbing in Plateau-Mont-Royal
Police tape surrounds the scene of a stabbing in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Cosmo Santamaria/CTV News) Montreal police said a 49-year-old man was hospitalized after a stabbing in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough Tuesday evening. At around 7:15 p.m., police received a 911 call about an injured man in an alleyway near the intersection of Mont-Royal Avenue and Saint-Denis Street. When officers arrived, they found the man with a stab wound on his lower body. He was conscious when he was sent to hospital and police say they don't fear for his life. Police say they are having trouble gathering information since the victim is not cooperating with investigators. The scene was cordoned off as police continue to investigate.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘We want venues to thrive': Montreal looks to modernize noise bylaw to protect nightlife, ease tensions
The City of Montreal aims to protect nightlife and reduce conflict by updating how sound is measured and regulated. The City of Montreal is looking to turn up support for its cultural spaces by rethinking how it handles sound. The Plateau-Mont-Royal borough is proposing changes to its bylaw with the aim to strike a better balance between residents and the city's vibrant nightlife. The updated approach would shift how sound is measured and tolerated, using a system that takes into account both ambient noise and specific frequency levels. Ericka Alneus, a member of Montreal's executive committee responsible for culture, said the current noise bylaw is decades old, dating back to the 1970s. 'Our downtown is denser, our neighbourhoods are livelier, and we need regulations that reflect that,' said Alneus. The proposal introduces a concept known as spectral emergence, a measurement tool already in use in cities like New York and Melbourne. Rather than treating all sounds the same, it breaks noise into three frequency bands (low, medium and high) and compares it to the environment's background noise. Between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., venues would be allowed to exceed the ambient noise level by up to four decibels (dB). That limit would drop to three dB overnight. 'This isn't a one-size-fits-all approach,' Alneus said. 'What's acceptable in a dense area like Boulevard Saint-Laurent may not work in a quieter neighbourhood. This system adapts to the environment and gives us the right tools and data to make fair decisions.' The rule change would also redefine what counts as a nuisance. Under current law, any music heard outside a venue could be flagged as such, while the new rules would set clearer, location-specific thresholds. While bars and restaurants would still be subject to maximum dB levels, cultural venues like performance spaces would benefit from the more flexible, frequency-based model. The move comes after months of controversy surrounding the closure of La Tulipe, a beloved music venue in the Plateau Mont-Royal. The space shut its doors in September 2024 after repeated noise complaints and a court ruling. 'That was a heartbreaking moment that should never have happened,' said Alneus. 'That case made it clear we needed to act — not just with one-off solutions, but with a broader policy to protect nightlife and make sure this doesn't happen again.' Reaction on the street has been mixed. Olivier Laliberté said he supports the changes, especially if they help preserve institutions like La Tulipe and Divan Orange, another venue that closed after noise disputes. 'They brought so much joy and culture to the neighbourhood,' he said. 'Those places are part of the community, and we need to protect that, especially for young people and new artists.' Other Montrealers, like André Blais, are less convinced. 'If this is going to reopen La Tulipe, then maybe,' he said. 'But if it's just making more noise everywhere, I don't think that's the answer because we already have enough of this.' Manon Schalk, who lives in the Ville-Marie borough, said she sees both sides. 'It's annoying if you live right above a venue or even near one,' she said. 'But at the same time, if these complaints are shutting down places people really love, maybe it makes sense to raise the limits.' The bylaw revision is a key piece of Montreal's new nightlife policy, adopted last fall. It enshrines the principle of 'agent of change,' meaning newcomers to a neighbourhood — such as new event venues — must adapt to existing soundscapes rather than forcing long-standing establishments or residents to adjust or shut down. Public consultations are expected to begin this summer, with the borough inviting feedback from residents and businesses in affected areas. The proposal will be tabled at the Plateau and Ville-Marie borough councils in June, with hopes that other districts will eventually align their rules. For Alneus, the goal is not to pick sides but to create space for coexistence. 'This is a bylaw of collaboration,' she said. 'We want venues to thrive but we also want people to sleep. With better tools and clear guidelines, we can do both.'
CBC
03-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Quebecers can wait years to get into co-op housing. So why isn't there more?
Social Sharing Relics of a long life are scattered throughout Dimitri Roussopoulos's 19th-century home. The 88-year-old has lived in the two-storey townhouse since 1972, where he and three other residents pay under $1,000 a month. "I often travel and people say, 'where do you get the money for travelling?' I say, 'well, I don't have to pay a mortgage,'" he says. Roussopoulos is one of the founders of Canada's largest housing co-operative development, the Milton Park Community, in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. The network spans six square blocks, with 616 housing units, 146 residential buildings and two commercial buildings. Since co-op members own the property, no one has to worry about being evicted or the building being sold — as long as they follow the rules. "I have a sense of ownership, I have a sense of security," says Roussopoulos. "I feel my personality enriched. I feel healthier in every way, physically and mentally." According to the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF), forms of social housing, including co-ops, make up less than four per cent of Canada's housing stock. It can also take years for a co-op housing unit to become available. In Quebec, wait times can range from one to two years, according to the Confédération québécoise des coopératives d'habitation (CQCH). How do co-ops work? In a housing co-op, members are co-owners and vote on how the building is managed. Generally, housing co-ops are divided into two categories: non-profit and equity co-ops. In the latter, you buy a share of a building, which can gain value over time. Non-profit co-ops are much more common in Canada. In those, you don't build equity — instead, you pay a monthly fee that covers building expenses and maintenance. When you leave, your unit goes to someone else. That means residents can pay significantly under market rate for housing — depending on the city, province and structure of the co-op. WATCH | How does a housing co-op work?: How co-operatives could become a hack to Canada's housing crisis 4 minutes ago Duration 5:18 People who live in them say they offer an attractive, low-cost alternative as the price of renting and buying property rises. Here's how housing co-ops work and why we might start hearing more about them in Canada. CHF Canada says there are about 95,000 co-op housing units in Canada, most of which were developed two generations ago. "In the 1970s and 80s there was robust federal and provincial investment in new co-operative housing supply," explains Tim Ross, executive director of CHF Canada. "That investment slowed down due to policy decisions by governments in the 80s and 90s, to first cut and then eliminate social housing funding." More government funding Different levels of government have scaled up funding for co-op housing in recent years. Last year, the federal government launched the Co-op Housing Development Program, setting aside $1.5 billion in contributions and loans to build and expand co-ops. In a statement, a spokesperson for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada says the government "recognizes the essential role that non-market housing, including co-operative housing, plays in fulfilling many Canadians' housing needs." It adds that low-cost loans and forgivable loans for new and existing co-op units are available through the Affordable Housing Fund. Quebec's Housing Ministry also says housing co-ops "are an important model in Quebec's housing supply ecosystem." In a statement, a ministry spokesperson said funds are available through a variety of programs, including the Quebec Affordable Housing Program. Last year, the City of Montreal announced it would sell its land — usually vacant lots or parking lots — at a break-even price if it is being used to build off-market housing. Quebec's CQCH says it's a good start, but a far cry from government investments in the 70s and 80s. General director Sandra Turgeon says that if governments are serious about developing this kind of housing, they'll have to provide a lot more funding long term. She adds that government programs can be tough to navigate and tend to favour long-established co-ops over new ones. "The co-op needs to have experience," she says. "You have to already be big to get bigger." Hurdles to starting new housing co-ops Professor Avi Friedman heads McGill University's affordable homes research group. He says starting a new co-op can be time-consuming and complicated. The process starts with establishing a co-op entity and acquiring funding. "A group of people need to get together and if they build their own property, they need to hire to find a site and to buy the site, get permits to build and so on. These are processes that usually are very cumbersome and long," he says. The CQCH adds that residents won't save as much in newly established co-ops as ones established years ago. Turgeon says residents in new co-ops will pay closer to the current market rate, minus whatever government funding is available. She argues the process is still worth it. "We work for the future. It's a little bit expensive now, but it will stay at the same price in future years and your income will increase," she says. Ross believes the best approach is to scale up existing housing co-ops, rather than starting new organizations altogether. "They have a track record and a balance sheet from which to work with, so that does create a more advantageous situation when it comes to new development," he says. Not for everyone Friedman says that the democratic nature of a co-op isn't something everyone will find appealing. "We are individualistic in nature," he explains. "People want to own their own property, to be suburban. Once they move in, there can be issues with getting along, how to share things and so on." Roussopoulos admits that co-op members may butt heads at times, but the sense of community makes it all worth it.
CTV News
13-05-2025
- CTV News
Montreal senior claims police used excessive force
Montreal Watch Louis Rousseau, 78, says a Montreal police officer used excessive force during an arrest in the Plateau-Mont-Royal after he refused to leash his dog.
