Montreal’s first modular transitional housing project opening at Hippodrome site

On Monday, the City of Montreal in collaboration with the Quebec and Canadian governments as well as Old Brewery Mission are opening the first modular housing project on the island to serve as transitional homes for people waiting for social housing.

“There will be services to support them, to kind of stabilize them, I would say, for maybe up to three to six months approximately,” said Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal.

“We’re all in our jurisdiction thinking outside of the box, and we were able to create this project very quickly.”

Located at Montreal’s former Hippodrome site in Côte-des-Neiges–NDG, the modular homes have 27 rooms for single adults or couples that can accommodate up to 30 people. 

The site also includes a room for a person with reduced mobility as well as a common area that includes a living room, a kitchen, and a dining room.

“This is different from a shelter. This is really pre-housing. So people who will be here will be able to, the next step will be for them to find real apartments,” said Lionel Carmant, Quebec’s Social Services Minister.

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Montreal’s association of scientists and engineers (ASIM) estimates the first two sites cost $5.5 million based on documents obtained by access to information requests, a price they say amounts to paying about $2,600 a month per room.

“Where we’re very disappointed is that had the city been more organized and also allowed the internal engineers to help with this project, we’re confident that we could have had more for our buck, meaning that instead of only having 30 units per site, I’m sure had the cost been better managed and the work better organized, we could have at least gone up to 50, even 60 spots per unit,” said Gisella Gesuale, the president of the Association des scientifiques et ingénieurs de la Ville de Montréal (ASIM).

“Could we build it bigger? Well, maybe. It’s the first time we do. And it’s really important that the first three sites integrate very well in their neighbourhood. So the plan is to make sure it works,” said Pierre Lessard-Blais, associate councillor for homelessness for the City of Montreal.

Old Brewery Mission is providing services 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the site that include counselling services, assistance, referrals, food, and community activities. They will also be in charge of maintaining the cleanliness of the premises and ensuring harmonious relationships within the neighourhood.

“Twenty-six men and women and two couples, so for a total of 30 people, who will be accompanied by some of the city’s best intervention workers to get on the road to housing,” said James Hughes, the president and CEO of Old Brewery Mission.

This project is aimed at providing transitional housing for people who have recently experienced homelessness, who are able to live in a community environment and who have no behavioural issues linked to mental health or addictions.

“They’re what we call apt for housing. They don’t necessarily have the heavy backpack of needs and complexities that many people in situations of homelessness find themselves in,” said Hughes.

These modular homes are the first of three transitional housing sites in Montreal to be set up. The second one is scheduled to open in Ahuntsic-Cartierville by the end of the year, and a third in Outremont in 2026.