The Rapid Housing Sub-Stream of the Affordable Housing Fund’s New Construction option offers contributions, low-interest repayable loans and/or forgivable loans. This funding helps eligible applicants build shelters, transitional and supportive housing projects.

• CMHC may provide up to 100% of the eligible costs of the project, depending on the needs of the project as well as the level of achievement of affordability, energy efficiency, accessibility and social outcomes.
• Proponents may be eligible for contributions, forgivable and/or repayable loans.
• The financial support may be contribution-only to cover the project's construction and development costs; however, repayable loans are available for projects that can debt service a repayable loan.
• CMHC does not cover ongoing operations and maintenance costs of units and/or projects.

To maximize the outcomes of the Affordable Housing Fund, CMHC will prioritize applications where proponents have confirmed other sources of capital funding. Review the Rapid Housing Sub-Stream Program Highlight Sheet (PDF).

Eligible applicants

• non-profit housing sector
• community housing sector
• rental co-operatives
• provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal governments, including their agencies

Eligible projects

The Rapid Housing Sub-Stream provides funding for low-cost rental housing and single-room occupancy, specifically:

• shelters
• transitional housing
• supportive housing

All projects must

• have a minimum of 5 units or beds
• have residential as its primary use
• meet minimum requirements for partnerships, financial viability (XLS), energy efficiency (PDF) and accessibility (PDF)

Prioritization of applications

We prioritize applications based on:

• affordability
• energy efficiency (shifting to 2020 model codes – projects must achieve Tier 2 of the 2020 National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings or Tier 3 of the 2020 National Building Code)
• accessibility
• shovel readiness
• financial partnerships*
• proximity to transit, childcare centres and community centres
• collaboration/partnerships
• social inclusion
• supporting National Housing Strategy priority groups and vulnerable populations

If your project is within a community that received support under the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI) and is a part of a Community Encampment Response Plan, you will receive additional prioritization points.

Considerations for Indigenous and Northern Housing Solutions clients

In addition to a Ministerial Loan Guarantee (MLG), CMHC is now accepting 4 additional alternative types of security for projects on First Nation lands.

Timelines are approximations and will depend on the complexity and completeness of the application.

Application Steps:

This process takes time. To speed up your application, be prepared to submit specific documents throughout the process. Inability to provide the outlined documents at each stage of the process will inhibit progression of the file and may result in withdrawal of the submission.

Refer to the Required Documentation Checklist (PDF)

Please refer to these documents to support your application:

• Program Highlight Sheet – Rapid Housing Sub-Stream (PDF)
• Required Documentation Checklist – New Construction (PDF)
• Project Assessment Workbook – Rapid Housing Sub-Stream (XLS)
• Need help using the workbook? Access our interactive guide for more information. Coming soon! Meanwhile, a CMHC Specialist is ready to help you.
• Energy Efficiency Attestation (PDF)
• Accessibility Attestation (PDF)
• Integrity Declaration (PDF)
• Applicant Guide (PDF)

The Affordable Housing Fund minimum requirements for energy efficiency and accessibility were updated in November 2024 to align with newer codes and standards. We understand that these changes may challenge projects where the design is already in progress and may result in financial impacts.

Transition period guidelines

To help with the transition, applications meeting the criteria below can use the previous Affordable Housing Fund energy efficiency and accessibility minimum requirements, until September 30, 2025. Regardless of which codes are used, we will prioritize applications that show the strongest commitment to improving social outcomes.

Important deadline

• Submit your application, including all required documents, on or before September 30, 2025, 11:59 pm ET, to qualify for the transition period.
• Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted and incomplete applications will not be processed.

You can find the checklist of required documents on the Affordable Housing Fund website under each program option.

Application guidelines

To ensure your application is eligible for review, please follow these guidelines:

• Submit your application before September 30, 2025, to ensure it is completed on time.
• Make sure your application is complete.
• Submit all required documents.

After September 30, 2025, 11:59 pm ET, we will only review and process complete applications.

If you would like to discuss how these changes may affect your application or next steps, please contact us.

We strongly encourage you to submit your application with all required documents before the September 30, 2025, deadline to ensure eligibility. After this date, no changes or updates to your application will be accepted.