National Housing Co-Investment Fund - Repair and Renewal Stream

The National Housing Co-Investment Fund provides low-cost loans and financial contributions to attract partnerships and investments. The focus of the Fund is to build new housing and repair or renew existing housing supply, covering a broad range of housing needs from shelters to affordable homeownership.

The National Housing Co-Investment Fund will:

• repair 240,000 units
• create 60,000 new units
• create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence
• create at least 7,000 new affordable units for seniors
• create at least 2,400 new affordable units for people with developmental disabilities

The fund supports the needs of the strategy’s vulnerable populations. Projects funded through the initiative will also:

• support Canada’s climate change goals 
• improve accessibility of housing for people with disabilities by promoting accessibility, universal design and visitability

There are two streams within the fund:

• Housing Construction Stream is for new construction
• Housing Repair and Renewal Stream is for the preservation and renewal of the existing community and affordable housing supply

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year.

NOTE: If you are interested in applying for funding for new construction, please apply through the Housing Construction Stream of the National Housing Co-investment Fund.

Funding for the Housing Repair and Renewal Stream can be a low-interest loan, a capital contribution or a combination of both. There is:

• $3.46  billion available through low-cost repayable loans over 10 years 
• $2.26 billion available through capital contributions over 10 years 

Low-interest loans will be available for up to 20 years to support viability and long-term affordability of projects.  

Each loan offers:

• A 10-year term (closed to pre-payment) with a fixed interest rate locked in at first advance.  The term will be renewable for another 10 years and the interest rate will be reset when renewed.
• Up to a 40-year amortization for smaller monthly payments and long-term viability.
• Up to 95% loan to cost for residential space and up to 75% loan to cost for non-residential space. There is up to 75% loan to cost (residential) for municipalities, provinces, territories, and private sector.

Capital contributions are available to support projects where loans are not a viable option. They are also available where the contribution tops-up or closes the gap with existing financial support.

A combination of capital contributions and low-interest loans may be available where the contribution is used:

• to offset higher costs of meeting or exceeding minimum requirements
• where cash flow is insufficient to support additional financing

The maximum eligible low-interest loan and contribution amounts will be determined through a scoring and prioritization process.  More details on the process and on the funding eligibility are available in the Approval Process. The Product Highlight Sheet provides further details of the loan characteristics.

Contact an affordable housing specialist today to learn more about how to access this funding. The affordable housing specialist can help assess your need, help identify possible solutions and help you navigate the application process.

The National Housing Co-Investment Fund – Housing Repair and Renewal Stream is open to:

• community housing providers (i.e. Public or private non-profit housing organizations or rental co-operatives)
• municipalities
• provinces and territories
• Indigenous governments and organizations
• private sector

The following projects can be considered for funding:

• existing community and affordable housing
• urban indigenous community housing
• mixed use market / affordable rental 
• shelters
• transitional and supportive housing

Minimum Requirements

All projects must:

• have a minimum of 5 units/beds (including scattered units/properties)
• have primary use as residential
• meet minimum requirements for partnerships, financial viability, affordability, energy efficiency, and accessibility (as outlined below)

Partnerships

Partnerships are a central feature of the National Housing Co-Investment Fund. Partnerships maximize investments, ensure coordination of efforts and remove barriers to the development process. Partners will be required to contribute to the project and the level of contribution may vary from project to project. Federal funding must be supplemented by investments (monetary and or in kind)  from another level of government (such as municipalities, Provinces and/or Territories) to ensure coordination of investments.

Financial Viability

Applicants will have to: 

• demonstrate their financial and operational ability to carry the project 
• provide evidence of the financial viability of the proposed project itself
• have the capacity to deal with development risks, such as cost over-runs and delays in construction

Affordability

Applicants must:

• keep rents for a minimum of 30% of units below 80% of the Median Market Rental rate (as described in the most recent CMHC Rental Market Survey for the market and unit type in question)
• commit for a minimum of 20 years.

Accessibility:

Proponents will be expected to meet the minimum accessibility requirement that:

• 20% of all units within the project meet or exceed accessibility standards as prescribed in Table A
• access to the project and its common areas is barrier free

Learn more about accessibility requirements.

Energy Efficiency: 

Existing projects are required to achieve a 25% decrease in energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to past performance levels.  

Note: Once your project is selected, we require a confirmation of the energy efficiency and GHG emissions reduction by a qualified energy professional. Learn more about Energy Efficiency requirements.

When your project is selected to proceed, you may also wish to apply for Solutions Labs or Demonstrations to allow you to overcome barriers to your projects or capitalize on opportunities to improve performance and enhance outcomes. 

CMHC will accept applications on a continuous basis and will follow this review process:

• CMHC will review and prioritize applications every 60 days
• Once your application has been reviewed you will be notified of the end-date of the current 60-day prioritization window. You will also receive the target date to complete the prioritization of the submitted applications.
• Once prioritization of the applications is complete you will be informed whether your application was:
  • selected to proceed for further assessment
  • retained for the next prioritization window
  • declined

Selected applications must be provided with a list of required documents that must be submitted. These are subject to approval based on a financial and borrower assessment.

Prioritization of applications

All applications for funding will be prioritized based on the achievement of National Housing Strategy outcomes. Provincial and Territorial input on regional housing need will also be considered in prioritization of applications. A higher score will be assigned to those that exceed minimum requirements. Factors used to prioritize and select applications for further assessment include:

• affordability
• energy efficiency
• accessibility
• proximity to transit, amenities and community supports
• collaboration/partnerships
• social inclusion
• supporting federal priority groups

CMHC will use a Scoring/prioritization grid to determine the eligible loan and contribution amount. The score obtained will determine how much your project could be eligible to receive. Download the funding eligibility for more information. 

The following resource are available to help you prepare your application:

• Product Highlight Sheet (PDF)
• Required Documentation Listing (PDF)
• Energy Efficiency and Accessibility Requirements Guide (PDF)
• CMHC Rental Market Survey
• Scoring/Prioritization Grid (XLSX)
• Funding eligibility (PDF)
• Viability assessment tool (XLSX)
• National Housing Co-Investment Fund Application Guide (PDF)
• Application Guide For Financial Viability Workbook – Repair and Renewal (PDF)

For help in completing your application, contact your Affordable Housing Specialist. They can help you understand and assess your needs, identify possible solutions, provide information on how CMHC can support your goals and help you navigate our application process.

General inquiries about the National Housing Strategy or technical support

• Phone: 1-800-668-2642 (Business hours (ET): 7:30 a.m. . to 7:30 p.m.)
• Email: contactcentre@cmhc.ca.