Women and Children Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative

The Fund prioritizes partnerships between organizations and governments supporting women and their children fleeing violence and other partners.

The Co-Investment Fund prioritizes affordable housing that is:

• energy efficient
• accessible (PDF)
• socially inclusive

CMHC will allocate:

• $200 million in capital funding between now and March 31, 2023
• $50 million operational funding top-up for new construction projects over 6 years (ending no later than March 31, 2031)

Capital funding can be used to create new shelter and transitional housing spaces through:

• new builds
• expansion or conversion of existing non-residential buildings

It can also be used to repair existing shelters and transitional housing.

Operational funding is available for new construction projects. It is a top-up and not meant to cover all operating expenses. Your projects must be operationally viable.

You could qualify for:

• up to $30,000 in operating costs annually for each shelter bed
• up to $15,000 in operating costs annually for each transitional housing unit

Applications will be accepted through 2 intake windows:

• The first window was open from November 30, 2021 to January 30, 2022.
• A second application window will be open from April 1, 2022 to May 31, 2022.
• If necessary, a third window may be opened at a later date.

CMHC will review and prioritize applications at the end of each window. If your application is not selected, it’ll automatically be considered in the next window.

• Application Form (PDF)
• Required Documentation Checklist (PDF)
• Application Q&A (PDF)
• Product Highlight Sheet (PDF)
• Environmental & Accessibility Requirements - New Construction (PDF)
• Environmental & Accessibility Requirements - Repair and Renewal (PDF)

Applications are reviewed for readiness, eligibility and completion. CMHC will contact you if additional documentation or clarifications are required before starting the assessment and prioritization of your application.

Talk to a Housing Solutions specialist to help you gather the required documentation.

Please consult the following documents before applying:

• Application Form (PDF)
  *Note: To use this interactive PDF, right-click (Ctrl + click on Mac) the link to save the file and then open it in Adobe Acrobat.
  Once completed, email the application to your CMHC specialist.
• Required Documentation Checklist (PDF)
  Information on the documentation required to accompany your application at various approval stages.

If at any time during additional documentation or clarification is needed during the application process, CMHC will get in touch with you.

• Surviving abuse and building resilience: A study of Canada’s systems of shelters and transition houses serving women and children affected by violence
• More than a bed: A national profile of violence against women shelters and transition houses (2019)( study by the Women’s Shelter of Canada) (PDF)
• Second stage shelters: Transitioning to a life free of violence (2019) (study by the Women’s Shelter of Canada) (PDF)