Québec Renovation Program: cities and eligibility
Status verified on October 8, 2026 on Québec.ca and the Ville de Longueuil website.
The Québec Renovation Program (PRQ) is a framework program of the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ). Before going further, an essential fact: the PRQ has been suspended since April 1, 2025, and no new applications are being accepted.
When it was active, the PRQ was not offered everywhere. Eligibility depended on the municipality and the specific sector where the building was located. In Longueuil, for example, only certain designated sectors were covered.
This article explains what the PRQ was, why it is suspended, and above all what to do now if you have a renovation project on the South Shore.
Are you planning work in Longueuil? First check the available programs before launching your project.
The Québec Renovation Program (PRQ), what is it?
The PRQ is a residential renovation assistance program that has existed since the early 2000s. Its goal: to help municipalities revitalize older or deteriorated residential sectors.
It aimed, among other things, to improve the condition of housing, to bring buildings into compliance with construction standards and to support owners who repair or enhance their property.
A framework program administered with the municipalities
This is the most misunderstood point of the PRQ. The SHQ does not pay assistance directly to the owner. It is a framework program: the SHQ funds the municipalities, which then set up their own program.
Each participating municipality adopts a by-law, chooses its sectors, sets its criteria and processes applications. The assistance was generally shared equally between the City and the SHQ.
Result: the PRQ could exist in one city and not in the neighboring city. Everything depended on the municipal decision.
Why are designated sectors important?
Even in a participating city, the PRQ did not cover the entire territory. The building had to be located in an area targeted by the municipal program.
The logic was therefore: participating city → municipal program → designated area → eligible type of work.
Concretely, two houses in the same city could have different outcomes. One, in a designated area, was eligible. The other, a few streets away, was not.
Is the PRQ still available in Quebec in 2026?
No. The program remains suspended, and this applies to all participating municipalities.
Suspension since April 1, 2025
Current status: no new applications are being accepted.
Quebec.ca states it clearly: in the absence of new funding, the program has been temporarily suspended since April 1, 2025. The same decision affected other SHQ programs, including RénoRégion, Pyrrhotite and Petits établissements accessibles.
This suspension is not an isolated case by city. It is a provincial decision, relayed by municipalities on their own pages.
What does this suspension mean for a property owner?
The trap is simple. A property owner reads an old municipal page, thinks they can submit an application, plans their work counting on the assistance, then learns that no applications are being accepted.
In Longueuil, the City went further: it closed files that had not obtained an eligibility certificate before the suspension . Files on the waiting list, pending processing or not initiated as of March 31, 2025, have been permanently closed.
The golden rule: never budget work by presuming assistance that is not confirmed.
Before budgeting your work, check the assistance currently available in your municipality.
In which cities can the PRQ apply?
When it resumes, the PRQ will not automatically be offered everywhere. Its operation remains the same: it depends on each municipality.
The PRQ is not automatically offered everywhere in Quebec
For assistance to be possible, three conditions had to be met:
- the municipality participates in the Rénovation Québec program;
- the building is located in an area covered by the municipal program;
- the criteria set by the municipality are met.
The SHQ specifies: registration and information on areas, interventions and assistance go through the participating municipality, not directly through the SHQ.
On the South Shore, several cities had their program, including Longueuil, Brossard, Boucherville, Beloeil and Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, often for the cracked houses component.
Local example: Longueuil and the South Shore
In Longueuil, the PRQ was intended for owners of residential buildings located in designated areas, identifiable on an interactive map of the City.
It covered the correction of major deficiencies, the addition of housing in an existing building and the conversion of a commercial building into a residential building. The assistance was funded equally by the City of Longueuil and the SHQ.
These areas affected older neighborhoods, such as Vieux-Longueuil and certain zones of Saint-Hubert, where the Montérégie housing stock is most in need of maintenance. This is exactly the kind of building for which our residential renovation service in Longueuil is designed.
What work was eligible for the PRQ?
The PRQ had several components, including residential renovation (components I and II) and cracked houses (component VI). Eligible work varied depending on the component and the municipality.
Residential renovation and major defects
The core of the program was the correction of serious problems, not decoration. We are talking about major deficiencies that affect the safety, salubrity or integrity of the building.
Depending on the municipality, it could involve light or major renovation, with a minimum work cost to be reached, often around $10,000 to $15,000.
Facades, foundations and cracked houses
The cracked houses component targeted foundations damaged by settling or sinking of clay soil, a well-known problem in Montérégie.
In this component, the subsidy corresponded to 66 ⅔% of the cost of eligible work, according to municipal regulations. This is where the famous «up to 67%» that is sometimes seen online comes from: it is a rate specific to this component, not a universal PRQ rule. Facade refurbishment could also be part of the planned interventions.
Adding or reconfiguring housing
The PRQ could also support the addition of housing, residential reconfiguration and the conversion of a non-residential building into housing.
This angle served the objectives of densification and revitalization of central neighborhoods.
What was not automatically eligible
A purely aesthetic renovation was not eligible solely because it beautifies the house. Redoing a kitchen for style, for example, did not correspond to the program's objectives.
And energy efficiency was not the purpose of the PRQ. Such work falls rather under Rénoclimat. In all cases, it was the municipality that validated eligibility, never an owner's assumption.
PRQ: 5 misconceptions to correct
«The PRQ is a subsidy available everywhere»
False. A participating municipality, a targeted area and compliance with municipal criteria were required.
«I can apply directly to the SHQ»
False. Registration went through the participating municipality. The SHQ administers the framework, not individual applications.
«The PRQ is still open in 2026»
False. It has been suspended since April 1, 2025, until further notice.
«All renovations are eligible»
False. Eligible work depended on the component and the municipality's choices, and mainly targeted serious problems.
«I can start the work and then apply for assistance»
False, and risky. Work started before authorization was generally not eligible. Never launch a project by presuming future assistance.
What to do if the PRQ is suspended?
Good news: your work remains feasible. You simply need to look at the right programs and properly define the project.
Check municipal programs currently open
Start with your city. Some municipalities offer their own revitalization or targeted assistance programs, independent of the PRQ.
Call your municipality's urban planning or housing department, or consult its website. Rules change often and vary from one city to another.
Examine programs that address a specific need
Depending on your work, other provincial programs may apply:
- Rénoclimat targets energy efficiency (insulation, windows, foundations) and still accepts new applications. It was enhanced on October 1, 2026.
- RenoRegion helps repair major defects, but it is intended for eligible rural areas. It is not an automatic solution for Longueuil, and it too has been suspended since April 1, 2025.
None of these programs is a copy of the PRQ. Each has its own criteria.
Have the work established before choosing financing
The right approach:
- Identify the problem (crack, sagging, housing to add).
- Determine the required work.
- Check potential eligibility for open programs.
- Confirm municipal requirements and permits.
- Obtain an estimate.
- Plan the work.
Do you have a renovation project in Longueuil? Get a free estimate before planning your work.
How to prepare if the PRQ resumes?
The program is suspended «until further notice,» which leaves the door open to a return. If that happens, prepared homeowners will have an advantage, because budgets run out quickly.
Documents and information to watch
Keep on hand:
- the building address and proof of ownership;
- confirmation that you are in a designated sector;
- the nature of the deficiencies (with supporting photos);
- inspection or expert reports, especially for a foundation;
- a clear description of the work;
- an estimate or a quote.
Checklist «Could my building be affected?»
- [ ] My municipality participates in the PRQ
- [ ] My building is in a designated sector
- [ ] My building type is eligible
- [ ] My work corresponds to a component of the program
- [ ] I meet the municipal criteria
- [ ] I have checked the required authorizations and permits
Why hire a local contractor for your renovation work?
Local expertise matters beyond the subsidy
A subsidy helps pay, but it does not repair a foundation. For that, you need a contractor who knows the region's building stock.
Cartago Construction is established in Longueuil, holds an RBQ license and full liability insurance. The company is led by Yassine Troudi, who has more than 10 years of hands-on experience in residential construction in Quebec. We coordinate trusted subcontractors and manage turnkey projects with a personalized approach.
A renovation must remain viable even without an assistance program
Let's be clear: we do not administer the PRQ and we do not guarantee any subsidy. Our role is to assess, plan and carry out your work, regardless of how government programs evolve.
A good project stands on its own numbers. Public assistance, when it exists, is a bonus, not the foundation of the budget.
Talk to Cartago Construction about your project and request a free estimate.
FAQ — Quebec Renovation Program
Is the Programme Rénovation Québec still available in 2026?
No. It has been suspended since April 1, 2025, due to the absence of new funding. No new applications are being accepted.
What is a designated PRQ sector?
It is a specific area within a municipality's territory, chosen in its by-law, where the program applied. A building outside that sector was not eligible.
Is the PRQ available in Longueuil?
It was, in designated sectors and for specific work, funded equally by the City and the SHQ. It has been suspended since April 2025, and Longueuil has closed uncommitted files.
What work was eligible for the PRQ?
Mainly the correction of major deficiencies, facade restoration, foundation stabilization (cracked houses), the addition of housing and residential recycling, depending on the component and the municipality.
Could cracked houses receive assistance?
Yes. A specific component targeted foundations damaged by soil subsidence, with assistance equivalent to 66 ⅔ % of eligible work according to municipal by-laws.
Can a PRQ application still be submitted?
No, not at the moment. The program is suspended until further notice.
Is the PRQ the same thing as Rénoclimat?
No. The PRQ aimed at revitalization and correcting deficiencies in targeted sectors. Rénoclimat aims at energy efficiency throughout Québec and remains open.
What to do if the PRQ is suspended?
Check open municipal programs and provincial programs like Rénoclimat, then have your work evaluated and costed realistically.
Are you renovating in Longueuil or on the South Shore?
The PRQ is paused, but a foundation crack or a dwelling to add won't wait. With a well-defined project and the right current programs, your work remains feasible.
Request your free estimate at Cartago Construction to plan your work in Longueuil and on the South Shore. 📞 438 932-4326 | ✉️ info@cartagoconstruction.ca
Sources consulted
- Québec.ca — Programme Rénovation Québec (status «suspended since April 1, 2025»)
- Ville de Longueuil — Programme Rénovation Québec (PRQ) and closure of uncommitted files
- Municipal regulations for the cracked houses component (Boucherville, Brossard and others) — rate of 66 ⅔ %
- Ville de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu — joint suspension of RénoRégion, Pyrrhotite and Petits établissements accessibles
Program status can change quickly. Always check Québec.ca and your municipality's website before undertaking any process.
