Montreal housing project for women at risk of homelessness officially inaugurated

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The federal and provincial government, the City of Montreal, the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM) and Chez Doris officially inaugurated the Résidence Marcelle et Jean Coutu, a building featuring 26 studio apartments for women who are living in precarious circumstances or are at risk of homelessness.

Located at 2233 De Champlain St., near La Fontaine Park in the Ville-Marie borough, the former rooming house provides permanent housing and other services to residents, who began to move in when the facility opened in October of 2023. The announcement of the official opening was made Friday by the City of Montreal.

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Each studio has a separate entrance; the women who live there are vulnerable but sufficiently autonomous that they are able to live together in a community. Residents benefit from support from Chez Doris social counsellors during the day.

The building is owned by the SHDM, a not-for-profit para-municipal corporation, and managed by Chez Doris, a charitable organization serving women in difficulty and those experiencing homelessness. Chez Doris provides supervision as well as psycho-social support for the women of the Résidence Marcelle et Jean Coutu.

The project, which cost $7.2 million, was funded with $5.1 million from the SHDM and $800,000 from the federal government’s Affordable Housing Fund. There was a further subsidy of $1.17 million from the City of Montreal’s Major Residential Renovation Program, $585,000 of it from a provincial government’s program to finance City of Montreal municipal housing programs. As well, the Quebec government is allocating the funding for rent supplements so that rent paid by residents corresponds to 25 per cent of their household income. The provincial government is also contributing to the financing of psycho-social services with nearly $53,000 per year.

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“For our administration, finding housing is a key component in responding sustainably to the housing crisis and supporting people who are vulnerable,” said Benoit Dorais, vice-president of the City of Montreal’s executive committee and the administration’s point person on housing. “These complex challenges require support tailored to those who need it and we salute the participation of all the government and community partners who made this project possible.”

Said social services minister Lionel Carmant: “Women experiencing homelessness are living particularly difficult realities and require resources adapted to their needs.” The Résidence Marcelle et Jean Coutu is more than a roof over the heads of vulnerable women, but “a safe space where they can rebuild their lives, feel supported and recover their autonomy.”

Karine Boivin Roy, MNA for Anjou–Louis-Riel said she wanted “to highlight the vision and the efforts of the leaders of Chez Doris, who were behind this initiative and who worked extremely hard for us to get to this day.

“You have my gratitude,” she said. “And in the name of these women who you are helping, I say this: “Thank you! These new apartments are the creation of a warm living environment where these women can live with dignity and peace of mind.”

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