Valérie Plante defends her administration's achievements
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Montreal's Construction Slowdown: Mayor Valerie Plante Weighs In
By Our City Insider Team
In a contentious press conference today, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante confronted allegations about a significant slowdown in new construction starts within the city since 2021. Plante contends that economic fluctuations, not municipal red tape, are to blame for this development.
"The market took a hit in 2023-2024," Plante admitted, yet she emphasized it wasn't an administrative process or regulation that caused the slowdown. "You can't paint the 2023 slowdown with a broad brush like some want," she added.
Real estate developers have been vocal in blaming construction permit delays and regulations requiring affordable and social housing inclusion in projects for Montreal's slow growth compared to neighboring cities like Laval and Longueuil.
However, Plante reiterated, "We're doing everything we can to speed things up and build faster."
Complementing her statement, the Plante administration lauded the increase in housing starts by 58% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the historically low numbers of 2024.
They also announced that, thanks to new "superpowers" enabling cities to bypass certain regulations, more than a dozen projects including over 2400 units have already been approved since April 2024. Another 4000 units could follow soon.
Economists attribute slowdowns in the construction industry to factors like economic uncertainty, regulatory changes, increased construction costs, and housing demand fluctuations due to interest rates and affordability concerns. Nevertheless, Plante's administration is striving to streamline processes, offer incentives, and invest in infrastructure to revitalize Montreal's construction scene.
And it seems their efforts are bearing fruit, as Montreal's housing market has lately shown signs of resilience with increased sales and moderate price growth[4].
[4] In recent times, Montreal's housing market has displayed unexpected resilience, with increased sales and mild price growth. These trends could augur well for construction stimulation courtesy of improved market conditions or policy changes.
- "Despite the slowdown in new construction starts in Montreal since 2021, Mayor Valerie Plante insists that it's not municipal red tape, but economic fluctuations, that have caused the situation."
- "Real estate developers have pointed fingers at construction permit delays and regulations, particularly those mandating affordable and social housing in projects, as the culprits behind Montreal's sluggish growth compared to cities like Laval and Longueuil."
- "In the face of these accusations, the Plante administration boasts a 58% increase in housing starts in the first quarter of 2025 and the approval of more than a dozen projects and over 2400 units since April 2024, thanks to newly acquired authorities that enable cities to bypass certain regulations."
- "As Montreal's housing market lately shows signs of resilience with increased sales and moderate price growth, the Plante administration's efforts to streamline processes, offer incentives, and invest in infrastructure for construction might be bearing fruit."
