Rapid Housing Initiative Funding — Projects Stream

Eligible applicants

• provincial, territorial and municipal governments
• Indigenous governing bodies and organizations
• non-profit organizations

Eligible types of housing — new construction

Rapid Housing Initiative funding supports the new construction of single, scattered units up to larger multi-unit rental projects, which can include the acquisition of land. Traditional construction methods and modular housing will be accepted if the units can be delivered within the timelines that apply to the projects' location.

Eligible types of housing — conversions/rehabilitations

Rapid Housing Initiative funding supports the acquisition of land and buildings for the conversion of non-residential to affordable housing.

Rapid Housing Initiative funding supports the acquisition of land and buildings in disrepair or abandoned, for the rehabilitation to affordable housing. Rehabilitation of units is defined as units that are in disrepair and/or abandoned and in both cases are uninhabitable or have been lost from the housing stock.

Eligible property types

• standard rental
• transitional housing
• permanent supportive housing
• single room occupancy
• seniors’ housing (excludes delivery of healthcare)

All projects must be:

• located in Canada
• available for year-round occupancy
• long-term tenancy (3 months or more)
• residential for its primary use
• for rehabilitation funding, the project must be vacant, uninhabitable and lost from the housing stock

All projects must have a minimum:

• of 5 units or beds* (units and beds are interchangeable and are based on project type)
• contribution request of $1 million*

*Flexibilities are supported for projects in Indigenous communities, the North, rural, remote or special access communities.

Accessibility and energy efficiency requirements

New construction projects will be prioritized for exceeding the minimum local/regional accessibility requirements in their jurisdiction (by percentage of additional accessible units).

New construction projects will be prioritized for exceeding the energy efficiency standards set out in the National Energy Code for Buildings or National Building Code, as it applies below:

• Part 3 of the 2017 National Energy Code for Buildings for buildings larger than 600m² in total area or greater than 3 stories.
• Part 9 of the 2015 National Building Code for buildings less than 600m² in total area and 3 stories or less.

Housing operations/property management experience

Non-profits and Indigenous organizations (not wholly owned by another level of government) must have been registered as a non-profit for a minimum of 5 years. They also must show a minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience operating a housing project of similar size, scope and tenancy. CMHC reserves the right to determine if tenancy is considered similar.

CMHC will allow applicants to enter into a formal property management contract with a professional third party to oversee the maintenance of the assets.

Affordability requirements

All units must:

• provide a minimum depth of affordability (tenants pay no more than 30% of their before-tax income on housing costs or the equivalent of the shelter component of any provincial or territorial income assistance)
• remain affordable for a minimum of 20 years

Target population requirements

All units must be dedicated to people and populations that are vulnerable, and in severe housing need including:

• Women and children fleeing violence
• Seniors
• Young adults
• Indigenous peoples
• People with disabilities
• People dealing with mental health and addiction issues
• Veterans
• 2SLGBTQIA+
• Racialized groups, including Black Canadians
• Recent immigrants, especially refugees
• People experiencing or at risk of homelessness

Expediency

Recipients are expected to deliver completed units within 18 months (within 24 months for those in the North, remote or special access communities).

Documentation requirements

Applications have different document requirements based on the applicant type. Please review the Documentation Requirements List to ensure you have provided all the mandatory documents to support your application.

Construction and development/modular manufacturer experience

Non-profit and Indigenous organizations (not wholly owned by another level of government) must be prepared to enter a fixed price contract with a construction company/general contractor/modular manufacturer who has a minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience building projects of similar type, size and scope in the same market.

Non-profits and Indigenous organizations (not wholly owned by another level of government) must provide confirmation from a government source that operating and/or program/support subsidies have been secured to support the project’s long-term viability. Groups that will be self-subsidizing any portion of their project are required to demonstrate the financial capacity to do so. They will also need to demonstrate their ability to withstand unexpected cost increases/overruns.

The application window will be open from December 12, 2022 to March 15, 2023. All applicants must submit a new application.

Prioritization of applications

Once the minimum mandatory requirements have been met, Rapid Housing Initiative Projects Stream applications will be prioritized based on the prioritization criteria as outlined in the Product Highlight Sheet.

Application window

The application window will be open from December 12, 2022, to March 15, 2023

All required documents must be uploaded and the application must be submitted on the portal by the close of the application window (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time).

All paper applications including supporting documents must be received before the close of the window for input into the portal.

Once the window closes, no new information will be accepted. At the close of the window, applications must be submitted in complete form to be considered for review and to maximize scoring eligibility.

Incomplete or draft applications will not advance to the review stage.

Application review

CMHC will complete the review and prioritization of applications within approximately 90 days of the application window closing and will notify applicants thereafter.

Submit your application

Please speak with a CMHC housing solutions specialist before preparing and submitting your application. They will be your CMHC contact for this initiative and assist you in making sure your project:

• meets the eligibility criteria
• is ready to be submitted

The number of projects selected will depend on the quality of each application in the pool and the amount of funding being requested by those prioritized for funding.

Applications submitted in draft or missing required documents will be deemed ineligible and be removed from the pool of applications under consideration for funding.