Collective Impact Project

In Montréal-Nord, the CIP supports outreach workers who tour the neighbourhood’s vulnerable areas and go door to door to meet with residents. This lets them understand people’s needs, give them information, and refer them to existing services. The most common issues are employment and housing access, health care, and newcomer integration. Since the project launched in 2025, the team has visited 1,589 addresses, and 627 households have opened their doors to an initial personal connection that often serves as a starting point for further support. This physical presence in the field builds trust, helps people access local resources, and builds a greater sense of social inclusion in the neighbourhood. The team has also identified unmet needs particularly regarding employability for asylum seekers, which has prompted the creation of new services.

In Parc-Extension, the CIP has driven a community mobilization effort on an exceptionally large scale that led to the collective design of a new multi-generational community centre. The result of a vast planning process involving residents, agencies, and institutional partners, this initiative has become a key priority to address the neighbourhood’s severe shortage of community spaces. This carbon-neutral centre with multipurpose rooms has also received a federal investment of about $18 million in addition to $6 million from two foundations. This significant support attests to the power of local engagement and the CIP’s impact in the neighbourhood.

In Peter-McGill, the CIP supports the neighbourhood’s Wellness Brigades, a project that helps vulnerable and marginalized people take concrete action to improve life in downtown public spaces. In collaboration with multiple agencies, the Wellness Brigades clean up, green, and beautify spaces—particularly in Cabot Square—while building positive relationships with residents, business owners, and community groups. The participants are financially compensated and get to develop valuable skills as they renew their sense of purpose and pride. This compassionate presence in the neighbourhood improves social harmony and promotes the dignity and social inclusion of marginalized people.

In Saint-Michel, the CIP supports the local food system called SAVEUR. This project allows community agencies to mutualize their resources by dividing up food supplies, sharing production and processing spaces, mobilizing volunteers, and coordinating communications. The system is structured around four key areas—production, processing, distribution, and academic success—and has led to significant progress. Since 2021, the educational greenhouse and food gardens have produced just over one tonne of vegetables and herbs every year. New educational initiatives, including a course on urban agriculture and a paid internship program, are being launched along with school cooking workshops to improve students’ food knowledge and skills.

Côte-des-Neiges has used the CIP to organize a large-scale community initiative around housing safety. The Safe Housing Brigade, which is overseen by the organization OEIL (Organisation d’Éducation & d’Information Logement) and supported by the borough, works directly with tenants who live in substandard housing, as over 50% of the neighbourhood’s units were built before 1961. By focusing on the most vulnerable households, the team provides support, information on rights, legal assistance, and access to collective action. Over 350 households have received support so far, which has improved housing conditions, helped people overcome isolation, and empowered residents. The brigade’s long-term viability has been secured thanks to public funding until 2027. The project is even inspiring similar initiatives in other neighbourhoods.