Gatineau council news

33-unit affordable housing development on Alexandre-Taché boulevard approved

Sophie Demers

After several attempts to get the project accepted, the five-storey, 33-unit apartment building that was proposed for the lot at 404 Boulevard Alexandre-Taché was approved by Gatineau’s municipal council. 

“I'm happy to see it come to fruition. It's been a few returns we've made with this project,” said Jocelyn Blondin, Manoir-des-Trembles-Val-Tétreau councillor, during the December 10 preparatory caucus before the council voted in favour of the project. “I think we've come to a project that meets our needs.” 

“To make clear the sequence of events, the first time the project was presented to us, the plans said it was perhaps student housing, perhaps social housing, but there was no confirmation,” said Caroline Murray, president of the Comité consultatif d’Urbanisme (CCU). “So that’s when there was hesitation, especially from the neighbours, who had several questions. I met with the neighbours and the promoter of the project twice. We managed to make a few modifications that are included in this new draft of the project, to meet everyone’s needs.” 

A non-profit organization has submitted a letter of interest to acquire the land and the building, once construction is complete, to make it affordable housing. The organization must apply to the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ) to obtain financing for the project through their Programme habitation abordable du Québec (PHAQ). 

The approval of the project is dependent on a new authorization from the Comité sur les demandes de démolition (CDD), a formal agreement between the social housing organization and the developer regarding transfer of the land and building, as well as confirmation of funding by the SHQ and Gatineau under PHAQ. 

The project aims to provide housing for autonomous individuals experiencing mental health issues. The apartment complex will be under the supervision of a non-profit organization, Le rétablissement Centre Inter-Section. This is a community organization founded in 1988. Their mission is to help with the rehabilitation and social reintegration of people with mental health issues.

The plans include an open parking area on the first floor with 19 spaces, including two accessible parking spaces for individuals with reduced mobility. The area will also include four spaces for electric vehicles and one for car-sharing service. Although the parking space does not comply with city regulations, which would require 36 parking spaces, the city allowed for a smaller parking lot. The parking lot will be accessible from boulevard Alexandre-Taché, and vehicles will exit onto rue Saint François. 

There will be 33 bicycle parking spaces, some indoors and some outdoors. The plans also include planting shrubs and six trees.