Longueuil buys rooming house serving 126 vulnerable residents to prevent homelessness

Longueuil has purchased Chez Lise, a seven-building rooming house complex serving 126 affordable housing rooms and apartments, to prevent the loss of one of the area's largest last-resort shelters for vulnerable residents.

The city announced the purchase Tuesday as part of its efforts to prevent homelessness during an acute housing crisis. Chez Lise provides not just affordable rooms and apartments but also food assistance and other support services to over 100 residents. The facility had been re-listed for sale after Longueuil used its right of first refusal to block a sale in April 2025, preventing the buildings from leaving public stewardship then.

"In the midst of a housing crisis and with homelessness rising at an alarming rate, we cannot afford to lose even a single room at a last-resort shelter like Chez Lise," Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier said in a statement. The city said it will develop a management and occupancy plan for the buildings over the coming weeks.

The acquisition marks an aggressive move by the municipality to hold onto a critical community asset. Longueuil's purchase reflects growing pressure on municipalities to act decisively when housing resources become vulnerable to market forces.