Two million dollars is available in funding for the 2021 edition of the Demonstrations Initiative. Funding for successful projects will range from $100,000 to a maximum of $250,000.

It is possible to demonstrate your community land trust / land assembly solution for affordable housing at various stages, with a slightly different focus. Applicants must select 1 of the 3 following streams under which to submit their project proposal.

Projects in the Demonstrations Initiative should have a duration of up to 36 months.

Considerations for determining demonstration funding include the:

• nature of the demonstration
• potential value and impact of the innovation demonstrated
• cost to carry out the eligible activities
• knowledge dissemination plan
• deployment readiness and feasibility of the project
• project relevance to the National Housing Strategy priority areas, vulnerable population groups and expected outcomes
• available budget

Eligible activities are primarily associated with:

• developing new information, evidence and data related to community land trust / land assembly solutions
• engaging in collaborative work with an expanded group of stakeholders
• disseminating information and knowledge and transferring capacity and expertise related to community land trust / land assembly solutions
• developing adapted scaling approaches to expand impact of community land trust / land assembly solutions
• mobilizing stakeholders for scaling such solutions

Costs not directly associated with demonstrating the community land trust / land assembly solutions will likely be ineligible. (However, such costs may be eligible if they are integral to the larger project.)

Consult the Applicant Guide for more information.

Eligible applicants must be:

• based in Canada
• in good standing with CMHC

Eligible applicants include:

• affordable housing providers, non-profit affordable housing organizations and affordable housing cooperatives
• government agencies and corporations (provincial, territorial, municipal)
• Indigenous organizations (First Nations, Inuit, Métis)
• Canadian companies, organizations, associations
• private and non-profit builders and developers
• non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seeking to demonstrate and scale community land trust / land assembly solutions supporting affordable housing
• agencies, associations and NGOs involved in National Housing Strategy priority area activities (seniors’ associations, veterans’ associations, mental health advocates, homelessness hubs, non-profit organizations, sustainability agencies)
• academic institutions and innovation hubs involved in National Housing Strategy priority area activities and audiences, and/or interested in community land trust / land assembly solutions

Note:

This year, an applicant can submit a maximum of 2 applications, for different projects. The applications can’t be for 2 phases of the same project.

Applicants are encouraged to engage with collaborators across all sectors. This includes end users or individuals with lived experiences who can provide first-hand expertise to the demonstration of community land trust / land assembly solutions.

Other eligibility criteria apply to the 2021 round. Consult the Applicant Guide to learn more and connect with CMHC through the preliminary eligibility screening process to validate your project alignment with the Initiative.

Requirements:

Selected applicants will receive funding to implement their demonstration project and will need to:

• Provide a mid-project and a final report on the project’s deployment, operations and outputs, along with funded deliverables.
• Register to the virtual community of practice on community land trust and land assembly solutions for affordable housing, via the Expert Community on Housing.
• Deliver at least 1 presentation on the project, with CMHC’s support to coordinate and organize the virtual event.
• Participate in 1 CMHC-supported event per year (virtual; for this specific activity, if context allows and if the event is held in person, CMHC will cover transportation and hospitality costs for participants).
• Provide a case study on their funded community land trust / land assembly solution for affordable housing.

Applicants must plan for these activities and related resources/costs as part of their project proposal.

CMHC will:

• Provide a virtual space to support a community of practice on community land trust and land assembly solutions for affordable housing, via the Expert Community on Housing.
• Develop content on funded projects for posting on the National Housing Strategy project profiles webpage.
• Display funded knowledge mobilization deliverables (case studies, recorded virtual workshops, etc.) on the Housing Knowledge Centre, as appropriate.
• Highlight funded projects through various platforms, such as virtual webinars and electronic newsletters.
• Connect all funded projects from the 2021 round through at least 1 activity (virtual or in-person) annually, for the duration of said projects.
• On a case-by-case basis, CMHC may undertake additional activities to highlight funded projects.

CMHC’s review process is supported by reviewers with relevant experience and subject-matter expertise who will assess the quality of the applications. The applications received will be reviewed, scored and prioritized based on merit.

• To be considered for funding, an application must receive a global evaluation score of 80% or higher.
• Recommendation for funding will be provided to the highest scoring applications, based on available budget.
• There is no limit in terms of the number of projects that may be recommended for funding per stream; the Initiative aims to select at least one project per stream, provided that they reach the required 80% threshold.

Note: While applicants can submit up to 2 applications, funding decisions may consider diversifying applications to demonstrate a breadth of land assembly solutions.

• Applicant Guide (Note: Barring inconsistencies between the content on this webpage and in the Applicant Guide, the Applicant Guide content will prevail.)
• Application Form (Note: To use the interactive PDF, right click (Ctrl + click on Mac) the link to save the file and then open it in Adobe Acrobat.)
• Detailed budget spreadsheet template
• Performance Measurement Framework template
• Glossary
• CMHC Brand Guidelines

External resources:

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council – Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization
• Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 (2018)
• Women and Gender Equality Canada: resources for applying a Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) lens to your work

If you’re interested in acting as a reviewer in the 2021 selection process for the Demonstrations Initiative, please connect with us at: Innovation-Research@cmhc.ca.

We’re taking a different approach to the review process this year. As part of this pilot, an honorarium will be provided to confirmed members of the selection committee.

The committee seeks to include a diversity of relevant complementary expertise/experience in areas such as, but not limited to:

• land assembly (regulators, practitioners, academics)
• affordable housing development
• financing
• grassroots organizations
• National Housing Strategy populations groups
• anti-racism and equity
• Indigenous reconciliation
• Gender-based Analysis Plus

If selected, members of the selection committee need to meet the following requirements:

• Between August 23 and September 7: Confirm availability to participate on the committee and absence of conflict of interest.
• On September 14, 1:00 pm Eastern Time: Participate in a mandatory virtual orientation process.
• Between September 15 and 22: Perform the selection process.
• On September 28 / 29 (to be confirmed): Participate in a virtual meeting.
• At the end of the process: Complete a survey.

Depending on the number of proposals received, the required availability and level of effort vary between 30 to 38 hours, to be performed in September.

Projects are funded through an annual open-call, merit-based competitive process.

Directed Demonstrations: We may also fund demonstration initiatives led by external organizations in areas of strategic interest that are aligned with the National Housing Strategy and federal priorities.

2020 Successful Projects

2019 Successful Projects

2018 Successful Projects

General inquiries about the National Housing Strategy or technical support:

• Email: Innovation-Research@cmhc.ca
• Phone: 1-800-668-2642 (Business hours: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time)