Propelling affordable community housing forward in Quebec
The housing situation in Quebec is chaotic and the only way to remedy it is to work together to enact positive change. We need to think outside the box and work on measures that have the power to deeply transform the housing sector in Quebec. This is what we aim to do through the Plancher initiative.
The Plancher initiative
Plancher is a collaborative initiative designed by Quebec’s social and community housing sector. Launched at the beginning of 2022 by the Centre, it aims to unite the actors of the social and community housing field around a common objective: setting up a high impact project to strengthen the sector’s capacity to tackle to the housing crisis.
A plan for affordable community housing in Quebec: by the public good and for the public good
A group of partners including municipalities, investors, philanthropic organizations and social economy organizations has joined forces with representatives from the social and community housing sector. Our ambition is to transform the ecosystem to simplify and accelerate the development of community housing across the province.
Changing the scale
Pooling community assets
Thousands of community housing groups, hundreds of municipalities and dozens of foundations and social investors are coming to the same conclusion: we need to pool our efforts. Together we have significant land, real estate, financial, social and political assets.
Simplifying and accelerating development
We have the capacity to nurture a powerful new ecosystem if we put these resources to use in the context of ambitious financial mechanisms. This will allow us to intervene on a large scale and have a significant and lasting impact, ensuring that a significant portion of the housing stock is protected from the harms of speculation.
By working together, we have the power to finance a significant volume of projects.
This plan involves:
- Pooling our collective assets
- Setting up a mortgage guarantee system
- Designing investment vehicles to accelerate development
- Lifting regulatory constraints
- Leveraging financial partners like governments, investors, philanthropists, and social economy
As a result, we will acquire a sustainable and constantly growing affordable housing stock for the collective good.
Social and community housing providers in Quebec include:
- 4,000 buildings
- 80,000 units
- Over $1 billion in sales
- Over $200 million in reserves
- $9.1 billion in assets
- $5.4 billion in equity
Next steps
Defining organizational structures
Financial engagement campaigns and political advocacy
Forming organizational structures
Start of operations
Partners
Are you interested in participating?
Do you have any questions about the project,
write to us at plancher@centre.support
News about Plancher
Answering your questions about Plancher
Our March 15th webinar on Plancher and its financing tools sparked a lot of interest and many questions. We’ve collected and summarized all the questions that were sent to us during the presentation, and by email. We invite you to consult the new FAQ section on our...
Plancher: a plan for affordable housing in Quebec
Les activités entourant la démarche Plancher vont bon train. Plus de 35 partenaires incluant des institutions financières, des regroupements du milieu des OBNL et des coopératives ainsi que des municipalités et des organismes philanthropiques sont à pied d’œuvre. Leur...
The Plancher Project is officially launched!
Watch the video here
Over 250 people representing more than 150 organizations registered to attend the launch of the Plancher Project. If you missed the event, you can watch the video recording and we invite you to share it in your networks.