Habitat for Humanity Québec and Lowe’s Canada Unite Women to Spotlight the Need for Safe and Affordable Housing During International Women Build Week

Partners to complete a home build in the Montreal Sud-Ouest borough as part of an international initiative leading up to International Women’s Day

Montreal, February 27, 2020 – On Friday, March 6, Habitat for Humanity Québec and Lowe’s Canada, one of Canada’s leading home improvement retailers, will bring together 20 women from the Lowe’s Canada network to kick off the renovation process of a 5-plex located in the Côte-Saint-Paul neighbourhood in the Montreal Sud-Ouest borough. This event is part of the International Women Build Week, an international initiative carried out by Lowe’s Companies and Habitat for Humanity, which will unite approximately 6,000 women volunteers in more than 235 communities in Canada, the United States, and India, from March 1-8, to highlight the global need for safe and affordable housing. A prelude to International Women’s Day, the global event aims to build and improve 540 homes while raising awareness of housing issues facing women and their families.

“In Côte-Saint-Paul, one third of households live under the low-income cut-offs and spend more than 30% of their available income on housing alone. Homeownership is an unattainable dream for most of them. Once completed, this project will allow five families to own a safe and affordable home where they can put down roots and create lasting memories,” said Jacqueline Kost, Habitat for Humanity Québec Board Member. “We are grateful to count on the support of partners like Lowe’s Canada to help us bring to life projects that have such a positive impact in the lives of Habitat homeowners.”

In Québec, one in ten families must choose between having a place to call home and paying for food,  childcare, education or reliable transportation. Through International Women Build Week, Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s Companies are calling on women across the world to help bring attention to the important safe and affordable housing issues women and their families are facing by raising a hammer with their local Habitat chapter.

“We are thrilled to take part in this inspiring event and to give women in our network the opportunity to take concrete action to improve access to safe and affordable housing,” explained Jean-Sébastien Lamoureux, Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs, Asset Protection and Sustainable Development at Lowe’s Canada. “At Lowe’s Canada, we believe that supporting the communities that welcome us is a fundamental part of doing business. As a leading home improvement retailer, we get to welcome customers in our stores every day and provide them with the right products and advice to repair or improve their home. Supporting an organization that helps our fellow Canadians acquire a home of their own is therefore a natural fit for us.”

Lowe’s Canada and its Lowe’s, RONA and Reno-Depot banners have donated more than $2 million in products to support the nonprofit organization over the past decade. Globally, Lowe’s Companies has committed more than $71.1 million to support Habitat for Humanity since 2003, helping more than 6,500 Habitat partner families improve their living conditions.

To view stories from around the world about this unique build week, follow #BuildHer and #WomenBuild on social media. To share this news on social media, please use @Habitat pour l’humanité Québec and @Lowe’s Canada on LinkedIn, and @HabitatQuebec and @LowesCanadaCorp on Twitter.

About Lowe’s Canada

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 18 million customers a week in the United States and Canada. With fiscal year 2019 sales of $72.1 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,200 home improvement and hardware stores and employ approximately 300,000 associates. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operates or services close to 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Ace and Dick’s Lumber. In Canada, the companies have more than 26,000 associates, in addition to approximately 5,000 employees in the stores of independent affiliate dealers operating under the RONA and Ace banners. For more information, visit lowescanada.ca.

About Habitat for Humanity Québec

Habitat for Humanity Québec, a registered charity, has been pursuing its mission in Québec since 1999, allowing homeownership for 35 families (i.e., 169 people, including 107 children) in the Montreal, Estrie, Lower Laurentians, and Montérégie regions. Affiliated with the international Habitat for Humanity organization, Habitat for Humanity Québec’s mission is to mobilize volunteers, partners, and communities to build affordable housing and promote homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty. By selling these homes to lower-income families, with no down payment required and a mortgage that covers two thirds of the house without interest, Habitat for Humanity helps provide the stability needed to improve family members’ health, children’s education, and their quality of life.

To learn more, visit www.habitatqc.ca.