City breaks housing start record
The city broke its record for housing starts in 2021.
-
Kate
Reply
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
- Lovebanned on Wanted but not wanted
- Kate on Wanted but not wanted
- Robert on Wanted but not wanted
- Blork on Jet flyover Sunday afternoon
- Blork on Jet flyover Sunday afternoon
- Kate on Jet flyover Sunday afternoon
- Nicholas on Jet flyover Sunday afternoon
Pages
Other levels of gov’t
Sideblog projects
Enviro Montreal is a Bluesky feed that follows local environment news. Also available on Mastodon.
Archives
Pages rescued from montreal.com
Meta
DeWolf 11:47 on 2022-01-19 Permalink
Lots of demand for housing in a city that people are supposedly fleeing…
Kate 12:10 on 2022-01-19 Permalink
I thought of that too. I wonder if any projects that were initially planned as offices were rethought last minute to sell as residential units, or are the fundamental construction methods, zoning and financing so different that it wouldn’t work?
Blork 12:20 on 2022-01-19 Permalink
And yet, the last line of the article is “Les données montrent que depuis le début de la pandémie, la proportion de mises en chantier dans les milieux ruraux a augmenté, tandis que celle dans les grands centres urbains a baissé.” Not sure how that works with the rest of the article.
As far as I know, building projects like this take years to get off the ground, so I suspect most of those “starts” for 2021 were actually started (on paper and in financing) in 2019 or earlier.
One interesting note is the switch from condos to rental stock, which I think is great news. In fact, the article says “Selon la SCHL, l’année 2021 a été l’année la plus forte pour le locatif depuis au moins 30 ans dans la région de Montréal. En effet, il y a eu autant de mises en chantier d’appartements locatifs au cours de l’année que les régions de Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto et Halifax réunies ensemble.”
It remains to be seen what kind of rental stock that is, however. Hopefully a good mix and not just high-end luxury microflats.
Kate 12:36 on 2022-01-19 Permalink
Would anyone go to the trouble of building rental stock then charge less than $1200/month for a tiny studio?
Cadichon 12:44 on 2022-01-19 Permalink
With current construction costs, no.
Blork 12:46 on 2022-01-19 Permalink
I doubt it. But there’s surely a middle ground. I see ads go by in FB for new rentals that are just as shimmering and glassy as the frenzy of condos that started going up six or seven years ago. (One bedrooms for $3000+ a month.)
But I’m also seeing ads for various “new concept” rentals that are pushing the idea of some kind of communal living for young urbanites. I’m not sure of the details, but it seems to be almost like dorm living, in which you get your own small apartment but there are large shared living areas and even shared kitchens. (Your own place has a kitchenette.) While that kind of living isn’t for everyone, some people surely like it. And it’s more affordable than having your own glass fortress I suppose.
And I think I’ve also seen ads for rentals that are basically mid-level condo projects coverted to rentals when the whole Airbnb thing collapsed. By “mid-level” I mean 700-800 square feet, less emphasis on the high quality quartz counters and whatnot and more on being modern and condo-like but without the commitment of a condo. It still not your $900 3-1/2 you might find in LaSalle, but at least it’s not a $800,000 mortgage.
Kevin 14:19 on 2022-01-19 Permalink
It’s a baby step in the right direction. 5100 Family-sized homes and condos is nowhere near enough.