A tangible response to the housing crisis is rising in Ahuntsic. On Thursday, October 15, Domicile Fixe and Mission Bon Accueil held the official groundbreaking for La Maison du Coin – Crémazie, attended by Ahuntsic-Cartierville mayor Maude Théroux-Séguin, city councillor Benoit Langevin of the executive committee, and the leaders of both organizations, Samuel Watts and Jean-François Tremblay.

The three-storey building will house 42 adults — men, women, transgender and non-binary people — who have experienced homelessness and are now stabilized, engaged on a path toward permanent housing.

The 42 compact studios of about 246 square feet come with common areas and a shared rear courtyard. The architecture (Atelier L'Abri) and interior design (À Hauteur d'homme) follow post-traumatic design principles: a soothing, secure environment designed for personal rebuilding, targeting WELL certification and LEED standards — a building meant to last a century.

Unlike an emergency shelter, the project offers a structured living environment where residents will stay an average of one year, with personalized support from Mission Bon Accueil and 24/7 staffing. A rigorous cohabitation plan — proactive communication with neighbours, ongoing monitoring, a direct point of contact — aims for harmonious integration into the neighbourhood.

Beyond the 42 units, Domicile Fixe is deploying its innovative business model here: a collaboration between the private sector, community organizations and municipalities to rethink affordable housing in Quebec starting from real human needs. If the formula proves itself in Crémazie, it could inspire other boroughs.

Measurable social and economic impacts

The approach is Housing First: a stable roof as the starting point, with an average one-year stay, allowing residents to stabilize their situation — health, employment, autonomy — before returning to the regular rental market or permanent social housing.

On the social and economic front, the logic is clear: chronic homelessness imposes heavy costs on emergency services, the health care system and the police. Stabilizing 42 people with on-site support 24 hours a day is a bet on prevention rather than repair.

In conclusion, La Maison du Coin – Crémazie tangibly illustrates that the housing crisis requires more than simple subsidies: it demands precise operational partnerships between social developers, specialized architecture firms and community organizations. It is a rigorous real estate business model in direct service of the community