The Affordable Housing Innovation Fund is now accepting applications

Today, the Government of Canada announced the re-opening of the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund (AHIF) portal.

Proponents are encouraged to submit proposals that address barriers to innovative homebuilding.

Priority will be given to applications using modular and prefabricated building to help address homelessness that can be scaled and replicated. These solutions should focus on the delivery of homes.

Additional prioritization will be given to:

• Communities that have submitted Community Encampment Response Plans through the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampment Initiative.
• Previous Affordable Housing Innovation Fund applicants with demonstrated experience in developing solutions to address homelessness.

Funded by the Government of Canada and delivered through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the AHIF is an initiative of the National Housing Strategy and encourages new funding models and innovative building techniques in the affordable housing sector. The AHIF provides flexible financial support to encourage, develop and test a range of innovations that encompass financial and funding models, construction techniques and technologies, and other innovative approaches to housing.

Quote:

“The Affordable Housing Innovative Fund gives housing partners the chance to adopt new funding models and innovative building techniques that can be scaled up across the country.”

Quick facts:

• The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10+ year, $115+ billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home. Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) website. The Housing and Infrastructure Project Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.
  • As of September 2024, the federal government has committed $57.57 billion to support the creation of over 156,000 units and the repair of over 297,000 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
    • NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private housing sectors. This includes consultations with Canadians from all walks of life, and people with lived experience of housing need.
    • All NHS investments delivered by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments will respect the key principles of NHS that support partnerships, people, and communities.
• AHIF is a $580 million program intended for projects that showcase new funding models and innovative building techniques. The total investment is expected to support the construction of approximately 10,800 new affordable housing units over six years. There is currently $67M in contribution funds remaining in the AHIF funding.

Additional information:

Visit Canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information.

CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC’s aim is that everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn,Facebook and Instagram.

Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) website. The Housing and Infrastructure Project Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.

Information on this news release:

Sofia Ouslis
Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca