JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Construction of an 82-unit affordable housing project for seniors will begin construction next month in Dorval, according to Mayor Marc Doret, a project he describes as “hugely important” given the ongoing housing crisis in major urban centres across the country.

“This (project) is for the most vulnerable in our society,” Doret said in an interview, adding that there are currently 120 seniors registered in Dorval looking for subsidized housing.

The $32.6-million project is being led by the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal and being financed in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the City of Dorval.

The project ­– dubbed “Habitations Les Îles Courcelles,”  referencing the three islands off Dorval’s shores – will be built at 750 Dawson Avenue and cater to autonomous individuals ages 55 and over. It will be three to four storeys and will be built using prefabricated wooden modules designed for on-site assembly. The modules will be provided by Les Industries Bonneville, a manufacturing and building design company that specializes in prefabricated homes.

The central location of the project offers the added bonus of being within walking distance to shops and restaurants, as well as to bus stops, Doret pointed out.

In the planning since 2018, Doret said the current housing crisis, which has been marked by increasing rents and evictions across Montreal and the province, underlines the importance of the project.

The median rental price for a two-bedroom apartment in Dorval is now $2,223, up 48 per cent from last year, according to rentals.ca.

Construction of the building is expected to take around 12 months to complete, Doret said.