Quebec Sustainable Social and Community Housing Living Lab
Funded PhD position in Geography, Planning and Environment
Last updated: April 21, 2026, 1:39 p.m.
Supervisory details
Supervisor: Leila Ghaffari
Department: Geography, Planning and Environment
University: Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
Start date: Fall 2026
PhD Fellowship: 35K CAD per year for 4 years
Project overview
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)
Role description
Design and implement participatory engagement frameworks for social and community housing stakeholders
Facilitate co-creation processes with residents, co-ops, housing authorities, and community organizations
Assess community understanding, perceptions, and decision-making related to retrofit and electrification initiatives
Conduct qualitative and mixed-methods research on housing policies, gentrification, and territorial inequalities
Develop and test participatory tools (e.g., surveys, workshops, gamified approaches) to support inclusive decision-making
Collaborate on the development and validation of digital twins for community-level scenario exploration
Evaluate usability and accessibility of model outputs for diverse stakeholder groups
Translate technical retrofit scenarios into clear, socially relevant insights for communities
Integrate stakeholder feedback into iterative improvements of models, visualizations, and policy recommendations
Contribute to policy analysis and recommendations for equitable and community-driven housing transitions
- Neighborhood transformation
- Gentrification
- Territorial inequalities
- Housing policies
- Social aspects of urban spaces
Master’s degree in Urban Studies, Geography, Sociology, Public Policy, Planning, or related field
Experience with qualitative or mixed-methods research (interviews, focus groups, participatory methods)
Strong understanding of housing systems, urban inequalities, and community dynamics
Experience working with community organizations, public sector, or social housing environments
Familiarity with participatory research approaches and stakeholder engagement processes
Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences
Interest in housing policy, gentrification, and equitable urban transformation
Experience with survey design, data analysis, or community-based research tools
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams
Strong writing and communication skills for both academic and stakeholder audiences
Proficiency in both English and French
- Fully funded PhD position, including tuition coverage and a competitive stipend
- Opportunity to work on real-world social housing projects across multiple living labs in Québec
- Direct engagement with community organizations, public agencies, and social finance actors
- Experience contributing to policy development, financial tools, and co-governance frameworks Interdisciplinary research environment combining policy, economics, and community-based research
- Support for publications, conferences, and knowledge mobilization activities
- Access to Volt-Age training programs (leadership, communication, applied research)
Please combine the following documents into a single PDF file:
- Letter of intent clearly aligned with the professor’s research domain
- (You may also review their recent publications and highlight relevant experience.)
- Academic CV Unofficial transcripts with CGPA and course names
- Names and emails of 3 referees
- Publications with embedded links, if any
- Any other supporting documents that strengthen your application
Send your PDF file to volt-age.recruitment@concordia.ca with the subject as:
Housing policy_Your name
Deadline to apply
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Questions/contact
For all questions, please contact Alisa Makusheva at alisa.makusheva@concordia.ca.
Volt-Age is funded by a $123-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.
