Ensemble Montréal, the city’s main opposition party, has announced that it will repeal the controversial inclusionary zoning bylaw known as the Règlement pour une métropole mixte (RMM) if elected in the upcoming 2025 municipal election. The policy, which mandates a mix of social, affordable, and family housing in new residential developments, has been a central part of the current administration’s strategy to address Montreal’s growing housing crisis.
Party leader Soraya Martinez Ferrada made the announcement during the unveiling of urban planner Sylvain Gariépy as Ensemble Montréal’s candidate for borough mayor of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. Gariépy, a veteran in the field of urban development and former president of the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec, has long advocated for pragmatic solutions to housing shortages and underused public properties.
Challenging the Effectiveness of the Bylaw
The RMM bylaw, often referred to as the “20-20-20 rule,” requires developers to set aside 20% of units as social housing, 10–20% as affordable housing, and 5–10% as family units in larger projects, depending on location and project scale. While introduced with the aim of fostering socio-economic diversity, critics argue it has hampered development and failed to meet its goals.
Martinez Ferrada asserted that the bylaw has been ineffective, citing the slow pace of construction and the tendency of developers to pay financial penalties rather than comply with the housing mix requirements. According to city records, as of March 2025, more than $56 million had been collected in compensation fees from developers opting out of building the required units—money that has yet to translate into a significant increase in affordable housing stock.
Instead of mandates, Ensemble Montréal is proposing financial incentives and stronger public-private partnerships to speed up the development of housing. “We need real collaboration with both the non-profit sector and the private sector to deliver housing solutions,” Martinez Ferrada said during the event.
Introducing the ‘Famille Propriétaire’ Program
Another key element of the party’s housing strategy is a proposed initiative called Famille propriétaire. Designed to make homeownership more accessible to first-time buyers, especially families, the program would allow the transfer taxes (commonly known as the “welcome tax”) to be paid in monthly installments over the course of a year.
The party views this initiative as a tool to address what it calls the “family exodus” from Montreal—referring to the growing number of young families leaving the island in search of more affordable housing and better living conditions.
A Candidate with Urban Planning Credentials
Sylvain Gariépy’s candidacy is being positioned as a cornerstone of Ensemble Montréal’s housing platform. Most recently a senior advisor at urban development firm BC2, Gariépy said he was drawn to the party’s pragmatic approach to land use and housing. “This is the party best positioned to make progress on major issues,” he stated.
Gariépy also pledged to prioritize stalled housing projects in the borough, including the redevelopment of the former Chinese Hospital at the corner of Saint-Denis and Faillon streets. Purchased by the City of Montreal in 2019 with the intent of converting it into social housing, the site has remained boarded up ever since.
Standing in front of the vacant structure during his candidacy announcement, Gariépy criticized the lack of progress and promised action. “We will invest the necessary resources to bring this project to life,” he said, adding that other city-owned vacant buildings in the borough also deserve urgent attention and redevelopment.
A Changing Political Landscape
The borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension will see new leadership regardless of the election outcome, as incumbent mayor Laurence Lavigne Lalonde of Projet Montréal has announced her departure from municipal politics at the end of her term.
With the housing crisis continuing to dominate public discourse, the upcoming municipal elections this fall are expected to hinge significantly on which party can present the most compelling and actionable vision for affordability, development, and retention of Montreal’s diverse population.
Whether Ensemble Montréal’s promise to repeal the inclusionary bylaw and replace it with incentive-based housing initiatives will resonate with voters remains to be seen. What’s clear is that housing will be front and centre in what’s shaping up to be a critical election for the city’s future.
