This Indigenous and Northern Housing option of the National Housing Co-Investment Fund provides low-cost and forgivable loans to:
- housing providers serving Indigenous people
- housing providers building and renovating housing in northern communities
Access long term, low-interest repayable and forgivable loans to build or repair affordable housing
This Indigenous and Northern Housing option of the National Housing Co-Investment Fund provides low-cost and forgivable loans to:
Before starting your application, please take a moment to download, save, and review our application guide. The guide includes information required to create your profile and start the application process successfully.
Download the guide (PDF)Start your application
Have questions? Need further support? Contact one of our regional CMHC specialists.
The Fund prioritizes partnerships between Indigenous and northern housing providers and other partners such as governments, non-profits and other such organizations.
The Co-Investment Fund prioritizes affordable housing that is:
Your project may qualify for several repayable and/or forgivable loan combinations. This depends on meeting program requirements and level of need.
We consider repayable loans first.
Low-interest repayable loan:
A repayable loan offers:
Your specialist can help you:
TIP! If you need funding to prepare the documents for the New Construction - Required Documentation Checklist (PDF) or Repair/Renewal - Required Documentation Checklist (PDF) please discuss Seed Funding or Preservation Funding with your specialist. Review the Product Highlight Sheet (PDF) for further details on the repayable loan characteristics.
Eligible applicants include:
Eligible projects include repair of existing or construction of:
To be eligible your project must:
Your projects must have support from another level of government such as:
Application preparation and submission takes time and depends on the readiness of your project. You will need to complete the New Construction - Required Documentation Checklist (PDF) or Repair/Renewal - Required Documentation Checklist (PDF), which outlines the minimum documentation required at each stage of the process to move forward. Additional documents may be required to address the specifics of a particular project(s).
Here are the recommended steps to take:
Submit your application on the application portal after receiving confirmation from your CMHC specialist. You must upload all documents identified in the checklist.
You will hear from CMHC within approximately 14 days of submitting your application.
If at any time during additional documentation or clarification is needed during the application process, CMHC will get in touch with you.
The minimum expected time between receipt of a completed submission to CMHC’s issuance of a funding package is approximately 150 days. This timeline varies on a project-by-project basis.
1. PRELIMINARY REVIEW (YOU WILL HEAR FROM US WITHIN 14 DAYS FROM SUBMISSION)
Applications are reviewed for readiness, eligibility and completion.
2. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS/CREDIT RISK ASSESSMENT (APPROXIMATELY 30-120 DAYS FROM YOUR APPLICATION SUBMISSION)
Credit risk assessment of your application takes time. Selected, eligible applications are assessed based on:
Provinces and territories also provide input and concurrence on projects in their jurisdiction.
3. LETTER OF INTENT
Successful applicants will receive a letter of intent confirming CMHC’s conditional offer based on the assessment up to that point.
The letter of intent generally includes details of:
Security documents may include but are not limited to :
You will have approximately 60 days to satisfy the conditions listed in the letter of intent.
Your application will go through a final approval process once you provide all required documentation.
Failure to satisfy conditions within the set timeframe may lead to a cancellation of the application.
4. FUNDING AGREEMENT/LOAN DOCUMENTS
Upon final approval by CMHC, we will then prepare your package of loan documents, typically within 40 days. Timing is dependent on the complexity of your application.
The funding agreement will detail items such as:
You have 30 days to accept and return the signed loan documents to CMHC.
The loan package contains several documents that will generally include:
5. FIRST ADVANCE
The fully executed loan 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 against CMHC repayable and forgivable loans.
You must satisfy all conditions required prior to initial funding. At both initial funding and at the time of each subsequent funding, you must submit a draw request to CMHC, along with:
Required documentation must be provided 10 days before each draw down date. Your specialist will let you know if other documents are required.
PLEASE NOTE: This process takes time. To speed up your application, work with your specialist and be prepared to submit specific documents throughout the process. Refer to the New Construction - Required Documentation Checklist (PDF) or Repair/Renewal - Required Documentation Checklist (PDF).
Before you begin the application process, contact your CMHC Indigenous and Northern housing specialist to help you prepare and gather the required documentation for your application submission.
When starting your application in CMHC's application portal please ensure you select the correct choice from the program drop-down list: "Indigenous or Northern - NHCF (National Housing Co-investment Fund)."
Notice: There are currently issues affecting users of Safari. For optimal performance, CMHC recommends using Chrome, Edge or Internet Explorer to submit your application.
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