Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund
Department - Organization: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Description: Eligible projects include planning or capital projects that would build or upgrade drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, or solid-waste infrastructure to enable more housing.
Two streams, 1) Direct delivery stream 2) Provincial and territorial agreement stream. Eligible applicants can apply to either stream, or both streams, depending on their infrastructure needs. However, applicants cannot receive funding from both streams for the same project. The direct delivery stream is intended for projects with a high level of readiness to be completed by 2031. Applicants seeking support for long-term infrastructure projects that enable housing are encouraged to apply under the provincial and territorial agreement stream.
Deadline: Projects may be pulled for assessment at various times during the intake period, with projects being recommended for approval prior to the intake closing on March 31, 2025, at 15:00, Eastern Time.
Contact: chif-fcil@infc.gc.ca
Website: Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund
Affordable Housing and Innovation Fund
Department - Organization: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Association
Description: The Affordable Housing Innovation Fund supports new ideas that will drive change and disrupt the industry – ideas and approaches that will evolve the affordable housing sector and create the next generation of housing in Canada. Develop and test innovations that incorporate resource and operating efficiencies and are replicable and scalable. Get flexible financial support to test a range of innovations and leverage new partnerships. Facilitate partnerships and encourage participation from diverse stakeholders.
Deadline: Open
Example Project: Incremental financing models and incremental building models. Such as the creation of shipping container affordable housing units which met net-zero specifications. The development of tiny homes for homeless veterans.
Seed Funding
Department - Organization: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Association
Description: CMHC's Seed Funding program provides financial support for individuals or organizations involved in the initial phases of creating an affordable housing project. You can apply for up to $350,000 in interest-free loans and a maximum of $150,000 in non-repayable contributions to assist with early development expenses. These expenses can include things like the formulation of a business plan, creation of preliminary design concepts and conducting environmental site assessments.
Deadline: Continous intake until fully allocated
Website: Seed Funding
Green Municipal Fund
Department - Organization: Infrastructure Canada/Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Description: GMF is more than just a funding source—they are a full-service partner in your climate action progress. Grants and loans for all stages. Stackable with other funding sources. Dedicated staff to help you apply. Free resources to help build business cases and improve project outcomes. Grants from $100-500k for up to 50% of eligible costs, combined grant and loan to a maximum of $10M for up to 80% of eligible costs.
- Community Efficiency Financing: Explore and assess options for a financing program for home energy upgrades within your community. Support project decision-making with a feasibility study.
- New construction of sustainable affordable housing: Construct a new affordable housing project to a higher environmental performance standard. Finance your new build with capital project funding. Planning, study and pilot project funding is also available.
- Retrofit of Sustainable Affordable Housing: Integrate deep energy efficiency measures and onsite renewable energy generation into existing affordable housing units. Finance your retrofit with capital funding. Planning, study and pilot project funding is also available.
Deadline: Continuous
Contact: gmfinfo@fcm.ca or book a meeting with an advisor.
Website: Green Municipal Fund
Mitacs Municipal Support
Department - Organization: Mitacs
Description: They offer funding (non repayable grants) and connect municipalities with post-secondary researchers for innovative projects — from affordable housing, green initiatives, transit, infrastructure, climate change — and more — to tackle your most difficult challenges and create vibrant and healthy communities.
- Non-repayable funding from $6,000 to multi-million.
- A custom-built research and innovation team to roadmap your project.
- Scalable, multidisciplinary projects in all areas.
- Academic/research team to give you the specialized knowledge and skills that you need.
- Works with you to resolve the major challenges that Canadian municipalities face
Deadline: Continuous intake
Contact: Form on the webpage
Website: Mitacs Municipal Support
Currently Closed. Next Intake TBD:
Sustainable Development Goals Program
Department - Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Description: In September 2015, Canada and 192 other UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda is a 15-year global framework centred on an ambitious set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes areas applicable to municipalities, such as sustainable cities and communities, decent work and economic growth, clean water and sanitation,
Example: By the Governors of Saint-Francis Xavier University: This project addresses the barriers to affordable housing in Nova Scotia. It leads a grassroots community consultation using the SDGs as a blueprint to frame the discussions. It addresses the factors that influence the housing needs of people living in low-income and marginalized populations.
Deadline: Closed January 12, 2024
Website: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/sustainable-development-goals.html
Research and Knowledge Initiative (Housing & Infrastructure)
Department - Organization: Infrastructure Canada
Description: Funds projects related to housing, infrastructure and communities. To improve our understanding of housing and infrastructure to find solutions essential to building and maintain livable, resilient communities.
Example(s): Development of research or data-driven papers, reports or other products (e.g., needs assessments.) Translation of research findings (such as a housing needs assessment) into policy-relevant analysis and recommendations (e.g., identification of best practices, analysis of case studies).
Deadline: Closed February 9, 2024.
Contact: RKI-IRC@infc.gc.ca
Website: Research and Knowledge Initiative
Housing Accelerator Fund
Department - Organization: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Association
Description: New funding is available for previous applicants only.
The Housing Accelerator Fund provides incentive funding to local governments encouraging initiatives aimed at increasing housing supply. It also supports the development of complete, low-carbon and climate-resilient communities that are affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse. HAF rewards applications that drive change within the local government's control. This can involve making changes to land use planning and development approvals processes, such as amending bylaws or implementing programs that expedite housing permits in both the short and long term. A list of example initiatives can be found in the pre-application material on the website.
Deadline: Closed September 13th, 2024.
Website: Housing Accelerator Fund
Growth and Renewal for Infrastructure Development Program
Department - Organization: Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Description: The program supports municipal infrastructure projects that address critical capacity issues, build more accessible and adaptable communities and preserve and expand services for housing.
- water, wastewater and stormwater
- accessibility
- climate change adaptation
Deadline: Closed December 13th, 2024. Will re-open annually, date TBD.
Contact: GRID@novascotia.ca
Short-Term Rental Enforcement Fund
Department - Organization: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Description: Aims to limit short-term rentals that take away units from the long-term housing market across the country. The program provides grant funding to municipalities and Indigenous communities with existing strict regulatory regimes to support the local enforcement of short-term rental restrictions in an effort to make more long-term housing units available in Canada.
It is a one-time grant funding opportunity. Will support up to 100% of total eligible costs. The maximum of $4.8 million over three years. The minimum of $100,000 over one year.
Deadline: Closed January 24th, 2025.
Contact: stref-farlcd@infc.gc.ca
Website: Short-Term Rental Enforcement Fund
National Housing Strategy Solutions Labs
Department - Organization: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Association
Description: A solutions lab allows for and provides tools and experts to guide stakeholders to co-develop solution ideas, prioritizes those ideas so they can be prototyped and tested together, and if they work, be implemented. The current theme is "Supporting the Community Housing Sector to Increase and Preserve the Affordable Housing Supply." Proposals are eligible for funding up to $250,000. Municipal agencies among many others are eligible to apply.
Deadline: closed until further notice
National Housing Strategy Demonstrations Initiative
Department - Organization: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Description: Funding to demonstrate innovative practices, technologies, programs, policies and strategies. For the 2024-2025 funding opportunity, the theme of focus is: “Supporting the Community Housing Sector to Increase Affordable Housing Supply”. The fund prioritizes solutions with potential regional or national impact over localized interventions. Your proposal may be eligible for funding up to $250,000.
Your proposal should aim to address the following challenges:
- financing
- acquisition of land or existing affordable housing
- development
- construction
- operation
- replication
Deadline: closed until further notice
Contact: Innovation-Research@cmhc-schl.gc.ca
If you can't find a grant that suits your municipality's needs, please reach out. Similarly, if your municipality is applying to any of the listed opportunities, I am readily available to provide assistance throughout the application process.
Lucy MacLeod,
Fund Navigator
lmacleod@nsfm.ca
