Round 2: Housing supply challenge

“Getting Started” is the second round of the Housing Supply Challenge. In this round, we are focusing on the pre-development phase, and are inviting you to propose locally relevant solutions that improve the pre-development process for housing that is affordable.

Pre-development activities include everything that brings a housing project from idea to the start of construction, and we want to hear your best ideas!

Different pre-development barriers exist in different communities, and there is no single solution that will work everywhere.

Do you have an idea to solve any of the following pre-construction barriers in your area?

• Inflexible processes
• Long approval timelines
• Community resistance to projects
• Mismatches between policy and implementation
• Lack of collaboration tools
• Etc.

Submit your idea to access up to $75,000 in funding to prototype your solution. If selected, you’ll be eligible for a further pool of up to $38 million dollars to implement it!

Listen to this podcast (On the Way Home) featuring Brigit Knecht and Sarah button discussing CMHC’s Housing Supply Challenge!

Are you looking for general information on the Housing Supply Challenge?
Visit CMHC’s Housing Supply Challenge homepage.

The following organizations are encouraged to apply:

• For-profit and not-for-profit organizations
• Indigenous organizations and groups
• Canadian post-secondary institutions
• Government (provincial, territorial, Indigenous, municipal, local and regional)
• Teams composed of a variety of participants

*All applicants must be affiliated with a legally incorporated organization.

Prepare for your submission:

1. Sign up below to stay up to date with news about this round

2. Consult with our applicant support program at HSC-DOLsupport2@evergreen.ca to start getting ready. The program is facilitated by Evergreen, and they have resources to help you prepare your application.

3. Make sure your solution:
   • Reduces or removes a barrier in the pre-development process,
   • Is implementable within the timeline of the Getting Started round (by March 2024),
   • Applies to housing that is affordable in your area, and
   • Incorporate people-centered design to consider the needs of those who will use or be affected by solution.

Stage 1: June 9th 2021 – August 25th, 2021

• Prepare and submit your proposal to reduce or remove barriers in the pre-development process by August 25th, 2021.
• Applications evaluated and successful proposals are shortlisted by October 30th, 2021.
• Shortlisted candidates are provided up to $75,000 in incubation funding to prototype their proposal.

Stage 2: November 2021 – July 2022 (For shortlisted applicants)

• Shortlisted candidates will refine their solution and design an implementation plan using the incubation funding by April 2022.
• Final applications will be evaluated and funded solutions will be announced by July 2022.
• A pool of up to $38 million is available for successful applicants to implement their solutions.

1. Have a long term local impact on pre-development of housing that is affordable.

2. Are implementable within the timeline of the Getting started round

3. Attract new ideas and resources and bring together different groups to solve the complex barriers to pre-development of housing

4. Incorporate people-centered design to consider the needs of those who will use or be affected by the solution

The following documents will help you draft and submit your solution and will be available on June 9th, 2021 on the Impact Canada Portal. Applications must be submitted online through Impact Canada’s portal.

1. Applicant Guide

2. Application Form

3. Frequently Asked Questions

4. Other Resources