The federal government is investing $58 to support the construction of 144 purpose-built rental-apartment units at MileBrook, the largest mixed-use rental development ever built at the eastern end of the Island of Montreal.

Ottawa invested along with the Quebec government and City of Montreal. The province invested the largest amount, about $229 million, while the city furnished approximately $53 million.

MileBrook is a $340-million project that will ultimately provide 893 rental-units, addressing the high demand for housing and local businesses in the area.

The projects are being co-ordinated by Montreal-based community real estate developer Bâtir son quartier and include 893 multi-residential units. Some parts are underway and others have already been built.

Local investor Courose Real Estate owns property. The firm is owned by the Routhier Monette family. Courose partners with builders and developers on multi-family projects in Montreal’s east end.

The project is designed with sustainability in mind, preserving existing wetlands, incorporating green spaces, green roofs, and a community garden. The rental units are 25% more energy efficient than required by Quebec’s building code, with the goal of achieving LEED Platinum certification.

Federal Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada announced the funding at the MileBrook site on behalf of Housing Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith.

“By making it easier, less costly and faster to build rental housing in Montreal, our government ensures that Quebec families have access to a safe and affordable place to call home,” said Erskine-Smith in a news release.

He called the investment another step in Ottawa’s effort to end Canada’s housing crisis.

The MileBrook project is also partnering with the Fondation Louis-Charles Routhier to support the mission of Mères avec pouvoir (Mothers with Power.) The non-profit organization promotes the development and well-being of women and their children from birth to age five, a demographic that is larger in this area than the Montreal average, according to the news release.

“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,” said Valérie Larouche, MWP’s general manager.

Each year, as a result of funding from the foundation, designated units will be allocated to low- or modest-income single mothers supported by the organization. More than 85% of women assisted by Mères avec pouvoir obtain a diploma or a job, and to date, 250 women have benefited from its services.

Caroline Bourgeois, mayor of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles borough, said MileBrook is important because of both its residential and commercial components.

“These new dwellings will offer an interesting mix of units as well as allow the arrival of much needed new businesses in this area.”

MileBrook has been in the works for more than three decades.

“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,” said the Routhier Monette family in the news release.

“For the past four years, we have been actively working on the MileBrook project, working closely with the borough of Rivières-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles to ensure the sustainability of the neighbourhood. The construction of these first rental units, many of which are affordable, marks the beginning of a new living environment in this sector.”

The federal funding for the project is provided as fully repayable, low-interest loans through the Apartment Construction Loan program (ACLP), which is is part of the National Housing Strategy. ACLP aims to accelerate the rental-housing construction across the country, supporting the development of more than 131,000 apartments nationwide.

Pictured: MileBrook rental-housing project on the eastern end of the Island of Montreal

Rendering: Bâtir son quartier