The island of Montreal’s apartment vacancy rate dropped to 1.6 per cent in 2023, with neighbourhoods like Plateau-Mont-Royal plummeting to 0.6 per cent, according to the 2024 report by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. In parallel, the average rent price for a two-bedroom has increased by a record-high of 7.9 per cent between 2022 and 2023. The rising costs are inhibiting students’ ability to access affordable housing. To combat this, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is working with L’Unité de travail pour l’implantation de logement étudiant (UTILE) to break ground on Le Méridien, an affordable housing development catered to students. //The Tribune// unpacks the development of this partnership and what it means for present and future students.

What is UTILE?

UTILE is a social economy enterprise, a nonprofit dedicated to developing affordable student housing across Quebec. Founded in 2012, they collaborate with student unions to create affordable housing projects specifically designed to meet student needs. As housing costs in Montreal continue to rise and affordable options become scarce, UTILE’s projects present an alternative to for-profit housing for students. UTILE has previously worked with the Concordia Student Union, leading to the construction of the student affordable housing building The Woodnote. The nonprofit has four buildings for rent and nine more projects underway in the province.

How did SSMU get involved?

SSMU began working with UTILE in 2014 when they partnered on a survey about key indicators of student housing, seeking to understand the reality of housing for students. In January 2019, UTILE presented its model and project to the SSMU Legislative Council. SSMU then proposed a question on the 2019 winter referendum, where 77 per cent of participating SSMU members voted “Yes” for the SSMU to “further prioritize affordable housing, including, but not limited to, further actions to explore developing student housing.” In October 2019, SSMU approved the creation of the Affordable Student Housing Committee (ASHC), aimed at exploring ways to secure and promote affordable housing for students and advise developers on students’ housing needs.

The final step in securing SSMU’s involvement with UTILE happened during the 2020 winter referendum when the undergraduate body voted to create an affordable housing fee of $6.53 CAD. The core mission of this fee is to fund about 300 units and create the infrastructure for future projects. The levy allows SSMU to collect $1.5 million CAD that goes to UTILE’s Popular University Student Housing Fund, which itself helps fund the $47 million CAD tower dedicated to McGill undergraduates, Le Méridien.

What is the state of housing for the McGill student population?

The ASHC published its final report in May 2023, presenting the state of housing for students at McGill. The review highlights that McGill’s own residence fees are considerably higher compared to other local universities and the private rental market. With the average cost of McGill’s residence rooms being 23.8 per cent more expensive than that of a room in a three-bedroom in the Plateau-Mont-Royal according to the ASHC report, many students are left struggling to find affordable accommodation.

The report also points to a broader issue of housing affordability, exacerbated by rising rents in Montreal. Many students, especially those with limited financial support, find it difficult to secure affordable housing close to campus, which intensifies the pressure on the private rental market and contributes to issues of gentrification and studentification.

What is Le Méridien?

Le Méridien is an upcoming student housing project, resulting from the collaboration between SSMU and UTILE. Located on Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Ontario Est and scheduled to open for the 2026-2027 academic year, Le Meridien will offer 170 apartments to about 281 residents, primarily SSMU members. 

Thanks to a successful reclassification of the plot in the urban fabric of the Quartier des spectacles, the building will offer a number of units that aligns with the range of 200 to 300 originally contracted. Each new project UTILE completes helps fund future developments, as the organization’s status as a non-profit requires that it reinvest any surplus earnings. While rent prices for the building have not yet been finalized, they will be 15 to 30 per cent below market rates as per the contract between SSMU and UTILE.