$50M for Montreal’s largest residential rental project

The Government of Canada announced a major investment of nearly $50 million for the construction of 144 purpose-built rental units in Montreal, marking a significant milestone in the development of the MileBrook project.

Located at the eastern end of the island – at the last mile of Sherbrooke Street – MileBrook will be the largest mixed-use residential development in the area. Once completed, the $340-million project will provide over 800 rental units.

“MileBrook is an important residential and commercial development project for our borough and for the Bout-de-l’Île,” said Caroline Bourgeois, Mayor of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles Borough. “These new dwellings will offer an interesting mix of units as well as allow the arrival of much-needed new businesses in this area.”

The development is designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating green spaces, green roofs, and a community garden to enhance the living environment.

“Thirty-five years ago, our late father Louis-Charles Routhier bought this land with the ambition to create a safe place to live for families in the East,” shared the Routhier Monette Family of Courose Real Estate, which has been actively working on the MileBrook project for the past four years. “The construction of these first rental units, many of which are affordable, marks the beginning of a new living environment in this sector.”

The project also emphasizes environmental responsibility, as it will protect wetlands on the property and aims to meet LEED Platinum certification standards.

Units will be 25 per cent more energy-efficient than the building code requires.  “By making it easier, less costly, and faster to build rental housing in Montréal, our government ensures that Quebec families have access to a safe and affordable place to call home,” said the Honourable Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “Today’s announcement marks another step in our work to end Canada’s housing crisis once and for all.”

In addition to its focus on sustainability, The MileBrook project promises to supports local families and businesses, with specific initiatives aimed at benefiting vulnerable communities.

It has partnered with the Fondation Louis-Charles Routhier to provide affordable housing to low- and modest-income single mothers supported by the Mères avec pouvoir organization.

“Mères avec pouvoir is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the optimal development and well-being of women and their children from birth to age five,” explained Valérie Larouche, General Manager of Mères avec pouvoir. “Collaborating with the Fondation Louis-Charles Routhier on the MileBrook project will ultimately allow us to double the impact of Mères avec pouvoir by allowing many families to have a home.”

The funding for the project comes through the Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP), formerly the RCFi, which offers low-interest, fully repayable loans to stimulate the construction of rental housing across Canada.

“Rental housing is a fundamental component of healthy and inclusive communities,” said the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. “By investing in our communities, we are growing the economy of Canada, and of Quebec, and supporting the vitality of our cities, like Montréal. The MileBrook project is about more than housing—it’s a community where families can thrive.”