About the Project
This transformational Quebec Living Lab advances decarbonization and electrification in social, affordable, and low-income housing. It combines technical innovation with community engagement to deliver scalable solutions for a sector often excluded from market-driven retrofits.
The project includes four living labs:
Longueuil (cooperative housing retrofit) In partnership with the Centre de transformation du logement communautaire (CTLC)
Montreal-Nord (Black community housing project)
Hochelaga (social housing project) In partnership with the Centre opérationnel de transition écologique (COTÉ)
Montreal (public social housing project) In partnership with the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM)
Supervisor: Marguerite Mendell
Department: School of Community and Public Affairs
University: Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
Start Date: Fall 2026
PhD Fellowship: 35K CAD per year for 4 years
KEY TERMS
social finance, impact investing, co-construction of public policy, commons and collective resources, Karl Polanyi studies, social and solidarity economy
ROLE DESCRIPTION
Conduct desk research on participatory and community-led energy transition models
Analyze social economy and solidarity finance approaches in housing and energy
Evaluate financial tools supporting retrofit and electrification in social housing
Develop policy recommendations for equitable energy transition
Create stakeholder-specific roadmaps (policy, finance, governance) for living labs
Document co-governance frameworks emerging from the project
Analyze policy and regulatory contexts affecting social housing transformation
Conduct impact assessment (baseline, implementation, post-retrofit)
Develop long-term community-led monitoring and evaluation frameworks
Engage stakeholders to validate findings and refine outputs
Prepare policy briefs, reports, and dissemination materials