Sustainable Affordable Housing
Under the stewardship of the Green Municipal Fund
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has recently launched the Sustainable Affordable Housing fund under the Green Municipal Fund. It supports municipal, non-profit, and cooperative housing providers in measurably improving the energy efficiency and affordability of existing and new affordable housing units. The SAH offer intends to increase the sector’s capacity to better plan, build, operate, and maintain energy-efficient projects. This represents an opportunity for your organization to access funding for capital investment. The program is designed to be stackable with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s National Housing Co-Investment Fund, as well as other funding programs, including those available through provinces and territories.
Communities in action for a sustainable future
Funding objectives
The initiative’s mission is to achieve environmental, economic and social benefits through the retrofitting and building of sustainable affordable housing. Projects will generate triple bottom-line benefits, through:
- Reducing energy and greenhouse gas intensity
- Increasing energy and housing affordability
- Improving building quality, and increasing comfort, health and quality of life for residents.
Funding streams
Support is offered through five funding options:
Planning: early support to assist eligible providers to get started on sustainable housing initiatives
Studies: assess the approaches needed to implement an eligible energy-efficient pilot or capital project in detail
Pilot projects: test out a new or innovative approach on a small scale
Retrofit capital projects: complete the renovation of existing housing units with the installation of energy-efficient technologies
New-build capital projects: construct new homes that are highly energy efficient
Eligibility
Eligible proponents
The following organizations are eligible for SAH funding:
- Canadian municipal governments
- Municipally owned corporations
- Non-profit, mission-driven affordable housing providers, including cooperatives
- Please note that shelters and affordable homeownership programs are generally not eligible to apply to this fund.
Energy efficiency
Energy efficient retrofits must achieve a 25% or greater reduction in energy consumption. New builds must be built to net-zero or net-zero-ready standards.
Affordability
Rents for 30% of the units must be less than 80% of local median market rent for the duration of the loan repayment.
The Centre’s role
The Centre is here to act as a Regional Energy Coach. We can provide guidance and assistance to housing providers in the process of identifying and evaluating the feasibility of energy retrofits. We can connect you with energy sector resources and capacity-building tools. Further, we can support the preparation of a successful application for the Sustainable Affordable Housing fund. We would love to discuss how you can incorporate energy efficiency features into your capital project! Please contact Hope Jamieson at h.jamieson@centre.support.
Community-Based Tenant Initiative Fund
Develop projects that aim to engage tenants/ co-op members in housing decisions that affect them.
Sectoral Impact Projects
Sector Transformation Fund
Develop new services, models or tools to help the sector build and manage affordable housing.
