Press release - For immediate publication
Montreal, April 14th, 2005

Habitat for Humanity Montreal announced today the opening of the first Habitat ReStore in Quebec, more precisely in the LaSalle borough of Montreal.

Habitat ReStores are construction material liquidation stores that sell quality used materials and discontinued products. These materials are supplied by distributors, retailers, manufacturers, construction and renovation companies, as well as individuals participating in Habitat for Humanity's mission.

The profits from the sale of these goods go towards Habitat for Humanity's mission, i.e. the construction of decent, affordable homes for low-income families. These houses are sold without profit and the mortgages bear no interest. The mortgages collected from Habitat families accumulate in a fund that is used to build even more homes. Habitat for Humanity Montreal has already built three homes in the Montreal area; at the national level, the organisation will be building its 1,000^th home in 2005.

There are 39 ReStores across Canada (http://www.habitat.ca/restoresc3.php). In 2004, these stores generated sales of $12.6 million, returning profits of $5.3 million to Habitat affiliates across Canada.

To launch the first ReStore in Quebec, Habitat for Humanity Montreal will benefit from a $41,000 grant from Environment Canada's EcoAction program, a financial help program destined to community organisations whose projects impact the environment, notably by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

ReStores reduce the amount of construction waste that is incinerated or buried, thereby contributing to a reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions. In 2004, Restores recycled 8,500 tons of building materials that would have otherwise gone to local dumping grounds. A study of 24 ReStores in Canada revealed that one store recycles on average 22 tons of material every month.

Habitat for Humanity Montreal will also receive a $40,000 grant from the Social Economy Fund of LaSalle's Economic Development Corporation (CDEL). In so doing, the CDEL is supporting the creation of long-term jobs on its territory and the start-up of a company that will fill community needs, in this case affordable housing for low-income families. The project has been submitted to the Québec Entrepreneurship Contest (http://www.concours-entrepreneur.org/) that CDEL co-ordinates in the borough of LaSalle.

Habitat for Humanity Montreal (www.habitatmontreal.qc.ca) was founded in 1998. It is affiliated to Habitat for Humanity International (www.habitat.org), an organisation at work in over 100 countries of the world. Habitat will build its 200,000th home in 2005. It is estimated that a Habitat house is built somewhere in the world every 24 minutes.

For more information or to schedule an interview with the ReStore project manager, contact  :

Pierre Tousignant
pierretousignant@habitatmontreal.qc.ca