Prominent Quebec developer developer Luc Maurice is aiming to create 3,000 new accommodation spaces for seniors at roughly half the cost of traditional long-term care units.

The plan centres on a new housing model aimed at seniors with declining autonomy, a group that currently faces long wait times for appropriate care, with about 8,000 people in Quebec seeking placements.

“I have a dream,” he told Le Journal de Montréal.  

The concept, which he described as the “Home for Autonomy Support,” is designed to allow residents to remain in the same setting as their needs evolve, avoiding transfers between facilities, Le Journal reported.

The proposed residences would feature smaller, household-style living arrangements, with clusters of about 16 rooms sharing common spaces such as dining and living areas. Each building would contain multiple units tailored to different levels of independence, along with amenities such as private bathrooms and secure walking areas for residents with cognitive decline.

Maurice estimates construction costs at about $475,000 per room, significantly lower than the cost of spaces in publicly funded seniors’ homes, which can exceed $800,000 per unit. The savings would come from a less institutional design approach that avoids hospital-style construction standards while maintaining care quality, he told his interviewer.

The initiative envisions roughly 20 buildings across Quebec and would rely on a public-private partnership model, with private firms handling construction and operations while government sets standards and funding frameworks.

“Let’s not kid ourselves,” he told Le Journal. “It’s the private sector that can do this quickly. Accessibility and efficiency are the private sector’s responsibility. Standards and vision are the public sector’s.”

Resident fees would likely be income-based, similar to existing long-term care facilities.

Discussions with the Quebec government are ongoing as proponents seek support to advance the project, which aims to address a growing demand for seniors’ housing driven by an aging population, Maurice told Le Journal.

Maurice is the founder of Montreal-based Groupe Maurice. He is also the founder of Mission Unitaînés, a Quebec-based non-profit organization dedicated to building high-quality affordable housing across the province. He currently serves as the group’s board president.

Pictured: Montreal

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