Gaspe LJI

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – Les Habitations de la montagne’s 86-unit affordable housing project has received final approval from the Gaspé municipal council, allowing the project to move forward. 

The approval was given during a special council meeting on February 24. “The last stumbling block in the file was a resident of the sector who opposed the project. There were discussions between him and the developers to mitigate the impacts of the project,” said Mayor Daniel Côté. 

The units will be located near the MAPAQ (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ) offices in the Sandy Beach sector of Gaspé. 

Modifications were made to address concerns, including traffic management during construction with a fenced-off area and reduced visual impacts. 

The developer has until 2029 to complete construction. While not speaking on behalf of the developers, the mayor estimates that the units could be ready by late 2027, with construction set to begin in 2026. 

“According to the latest available statistics, we went from a vacancy rate of 0% to 1%. It’s still a good improvement, but we’re still far from the equilibrium threshold. That’s why we’re continuing to invest in housing,” says Mr. Côté. 

Over the past five years, 533 residential units have been built in Gaspé. “The shortage is getting less and less severe. At one time, we never saw any housing listed. Now, there are some. It’s a sign that we’re on a positive trend in the housing shortage,” believes the mayor, who is maintaining the pace to bring in construction. 

The elected official also highlighted Gaspé’s population growth, with 490 new residents added in the past year. 

“In my humble opinion, the growth is far from over.” As long as we can build housing, I think there will be people to occupy them and contribute to our development,” continued the mayor. 

With new residents comes an increase demand for daycare spaces. 

The project for 100 new spaces at the Voyage de mon enfance Centre petit enfance (CPE) is also taking a step forward as the Town has agreed to sell part of the land it owns near Carrefour Gaspé. 

However, the project for the 144 units that was supposed to be built on the adjoining land will not see the light of day, according to the mayor. 

“The project was aborted because of the elements already mentioned. There are legal proceedings in the file. I won’t go too far in my remarks. The project has not been working for some time. We want to take back the land to do something else, whether it be housing or something else,” said the mayor. In February 2024, the Town threatened to use its termination clause, granting it the right to take back the land, since the deadlines had become too long for the project to be completed. A warning was applied in September. 

Logements CVP had purchased the municipal land in September 2021 for $300,000, though it was valued at $566,000 at the time, with plans to develop Le Domaine de la Baie. 

The investors had also deposited a $266,000 security deposit, repayable in four installments each time a complex was built. 

The project included four buildings of 36 units each, with one to be constructed per year until 2026. CVP had committed to breaking ground by December 31, 2023.