Access funding for the construction of shelters, transitional and supportive housing.
IMPORTANT
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The Rapid Housing Sub-Stream under the Affordable Housing Fund has $963 million over 5 years, to build 2,400 new units/beds for those in greatest need.
This sub-stream supports the construction of low cost-rental housing and single-room occupancy units – specifically, shelters, transitional and supportive housing projects. These projects typically require operating subsidies to be viable and generate limited to no rental revenues.
The Affordable Housing Fund has options for new construction, the repair and/or renewal of existing buildings. Contact us to see which option is right for you.
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.
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).
IMPORTANT
The Affordable Housing Fund minimum requirements for accessibility and energy efficiency were updated in November 2024 to align with newer codes and standards. We understand these changes may challenge projects where the design is already in progress and may result in financial impacts. Learn more about the transition period.
Eligible applicants
IMPORTANT
Private builders and developers are not eligible for the Rapid Housing Sub-Stream.
Eligible projects
The Rapid Housing Sub-Stream provides funding for low-cost rental housing and single-room occupancy, specifically:
All projects must
Prioritization of applications
We prioritize applications based on:
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.
To make federal investments go further, the Rapid Housing Sub-Stream does not require proponents to have partners for the capital portion of their project. However, projects that do have confirmed capital partners will be prioritized to maximize the outcomes of the Affordable Housing Fund.
You must provide evidence of ongoing operations and maintenance costs of units and projects upon application submission, where applicable.
The Affordable Housing Fund prioritizes affordable housing projects that are rural, northern and Indigenous-led.
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 preparation and submission takes time and depends on the readiness of your project. You will need to complete the
Required Documentation Checklist (PDF),
which outlines the minimum documentation required at each stage of the process in order to move forward.
PRO TIP! Use the Applicant Guide (PDF) to understand the application process.
Additionally, complete these forms before signing in or creating an account in the CMHC portal:
• Project Assessment Workbook (XLS)
Please note: Our interactive guide is currently being updated.
• Integrity Declaration (PDF)
• Energy Efficiency Attestation (PDF)
• Accessibility Attestation (PDF)
Once received, your application will be reviewed for readiness, eligibility and completeness. Processing your application is contingent on receiving all required documentation upon submission of your application as outlined in step 1.
We will contact you if additional documentation or clarifications are required before starting the assessment and prioritization of your application.
To make federal investments go further, the Rapid Housing Sub-Stream prioritizes projects that, in addition to meeting mandatory minimum requirements, have additional sources of funding and higher scores based on the achievement of outcomes within the following priority areas:
• rural
• northern
• Indigenous-led
Complete applications will receive a decision (decline or conditional approval) within 30 days. A conditional approval will outline the conditionally approved funding amount and any required documents that must be submitted prior to underwriting.
After receiving conditional approval of your application, it will be assessed based on:
• financial viability
• minimum requirements
• partnerships
• shovel readiness
• socio-economic outcomes to be achieved
• local community need
• available funding
We will contact you if additional documentation or clarification are required as we process your application.
After receipt of all necessary documentation, it can take up to 60 days to complete the underwriting process.
Once your application is approved, we will prepare your package of legal documents, typically within 30 days. Timing is dependent on the complexity of your application.
You have 30 days to accept and return the signed documents to CMHC.
The fully executed agreement between CMHC and the successful applicant will contain a drawdown schedule. The drawdown schedule itemizes when and in what amount funds are expected to be advanced.
Please note, you must satisfy all conditions required prior to initial funding, which includes submitting a draw request to CMHC, along with:
• Borrower Certificate
• the project status certificate
• the project consultant’s certificate
• any other documentation that CMHC may deem necessary
Conditions for subsequent advances are specified in the agreement.
Required documentation must be provided 10 days before each draw down date.
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.
Please refer to these documents to support your application:
PRO TIP!
Use the Applicant Guide (PDF) to understand the application process.
If you are Indigenous or from a northern community, please choose: "Indigenous or Northern - Affordable Housing Fund" when starting your application in CMHC's application portal.
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
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:
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.
Before starting your application, please download, save and review our Application Guide. The guide includes all the information needed to create your profile and start the application process successfully.
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