Housing development in Gatineau: task force launched at city hall

Draz Seslija

The first meeting of the 2026-2029 term of the "Comité-choc de la ville de Gatineau" on Housing was held on Monday at the Maison du Citoyen in the Hull neighborhood.

Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonette, committee chair and Deschênes district councilor Caroline Murray and her team, stakeholders and partners in the housing sector in the Outaouais region and other remote areas of Quebec had the opportunity to meet to discuss future housing plans aimed at accelerating projects in all phases and promoting collaboration. 

From the outset, the primary objective was set: the city council wants to promote the creation of at least 1,500 additional housing units over the next four years. The partners and teams of the task force have targeted more than 1,600 units, which are currently being screened or analyzed, for development into concrete projects.

Municipal budget for the project 

The financial aspect was also discussed. More than $20 million was added from the 2026 municipal budget to support non-market housing projects, particularly social housing. 

Ms. Murray argued that the primary goal of the City of Gatineau is « that no one sleeps on the streets » and that the city «wants social housing. »

The discussion also focused on adopting best practices and potentially adapting them to the reality of the city of Gatineau, with a roundtable discussion involving stakeholders in the housing sector. 

The Special Urban Planning Program (PPU), one of the cornerstones of the urban development plan for the municipal territory of the city of Gatineau, which ended in 2025, was one of the topics of discussion.

Zoning

Ms. Murray confirmed that there will be zoning changes with the implementation of the new PPU, which will open the door to projects that were not previously compliant but now have the potential to move forward.

She also indicated that incentive zoning is still among the top options, citing the example of incentive zoning in Old Aylmer, which has allowed for the relaxation of certain restrictions to complete housing construction projects. « Incentive zoning is a way for us to give back to the community in exchange for having more floors. It could be for infrastructure or social housing. It's on the table », she explained.