APCHQ — Affordable Housing Fund: New Construction - Community Housing Sub-Stream

Who is eligible?

• Community housing providers (public or private non-profit housing organizations)
• Rental housing co-operatives
• Municipal governments
• Provincial and territorial governments
• Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations
• Private sector housing developers or companies

Eligible geographic areas

• Projects located anywhere in Canada, as this is a federal program administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
• Projects on First Nation lands in Canada, including those using Ministerial Loan Guarantees or other accepted forms of security.
• Projects in rural and Northern areas of Canada, which are specifically prioritized under the program.

• Level of affordability achieved by the project beyond the minimum program requirements.
• Degree of energy efficiency, including performance relative to 2020 model codes (e.g., achieving or exceeding Tier 2 of the 2020 National Energy Code or Tier 3 of the 2020 National Building Code).
• Level of accessibility, including alignment with or exceeding CSA B651:23 and B652:23 standards.
• Shovel readiness of the project, including ability to start construction quickly and completeness of required documentation.
• Social and community outcomes, including proximity to transit/childcare/community centres, strength of financial partnerships and collaboration, social inclusion, and benefits for National Housing Strategy priority groups and vulnerable populations.

• Step 1: Prepare project and confirm readiness
  • Ensure your housing project concept, partnerships and financing plan are sufficiently defined to begin an application.
  • Verify that your project can meet the fund’s minimum requirements for partnerships, financial viability, energy efficiency and accessibility.
  • Obtain support from at least one other level of government (for example, municipality, province/territory or Indigenous government), which can be an investment of resources or a letter of endorsement for the project.
• Step 2: Review guidance and check documentation needs
  • Consult the Required Documentation Checklist — New Construction (PDF) to understand the minimum documents required at each stage of the process.
  • Review the Applicant Guide (PDF) to understand the full application process and expectations.
  • Refer to the Program Highlight Sheet — Community Housing Sub-Stream (PDF) for key program features and constraints.
  • If your project is on First Nation lands or you are a municipality, review the specific guidance on acceptable security (e.g., alternative security types for First Nation lands or use of debentures for municipalities).
• Step 3: Complete required forms and tools
  • Download and complete the Project Assessment Workbook — Community Housing Sub-Stream (XLS) to assess project viability and potential forgivable loan incentives.
  • Complete the Energy Efficiency Attestation (PDF) confirming how the project will meet the required energy efficiency standards or, if eligible, prior standards during the transition period.
  • Complete the Accessibility Attestation (PDF) confirming how the project will meet the required accessibility standards or, if eligible, prior standards during the transition period.
  • Complete the Integrity Declaration (PDF) as required by CMHC.
• Step 4: Respect transition-period timelines (if applicable)
  • If you intend to use the previous Affordable Housing Fund minimum requirements for energy efficiency and accessibility, ensure your application meets the specified criteria for the transition period.
  • Submit a complete application, including all required documents, on or before September 30, 2025, 11:59 pm ET, to qualify for use of the previous requirements.
  • Be aware that applications submitted after this date will not be accepted and incomplete applications will not be processed.
• Step 5: Create or access account in CMHC application portal
  • Gather all completed forms and supporting documentation identified in the Required Documentation Checklist.
  • Sign in or create an account in the CMHC application portal.
  • If you are Indigenous or from a northern community, select “Indigenous or Northern - Affordable Housing Fund” when starting your application in the portal.
• Step 6: Complete and submit the application
  • Fill out the online application in the CMHC portal for the Affordable Housing Fund: New Construction – Community Housing Sub-Stream.
  • Upload all required supporting documents as outlined in the Required Documentation Checklist, including the Project Assessment Workbook, Integrity Declaration, Energy Efficiency Attestation, Accessibility Attestation and any governmental support letters.
  • Review all information for accuracy and completeness to ensure the application is complete.
  • Submit the application through the CMHC portal, ensuring submission occurs before any applicable deadlines (particularly September 30, 2025, if using transition-period requirements).
• Step 7: Application review and prioritization
  • After submission, CMHC reviews the application for readiness, eligibility and completeness; processing is contingent on receipt of all required documents at submission.
  • Respond promptly if CMHC requests additional documentation or clarifications.
  • Once deemed complete, the application undergoes an initial assessment and is prioritized based on project readiness, social outcomes and budget availability.
  • Receive a decision (decline or conditional approval) within approximately 30 days for complete applications.
• Step 8: Provide underwriting documentation
  • If you receive conditional approval, review the conditions and list of documents required for underwriting.
  • Submit all underwriting documentation requested by CMHC within 90 days of conditional approval; otherwise, the application will be withdrawn from consideration.
  • Respond to any further CMHC requests for additional documentation or clarification during underwriting.
  • Allow up to 60 days after CMHC receives all necessary underwriting documents for completion of the underwriting process.
• Step 9: Review and sign the loan agreement
  • Upon approval, receive a package of loan documents prepared by CMHC, typically within about 40 days, depending on application complexity.
  • Review the loan agreement detailing funding amounts, funding conditions, socio-economic outcome commitments, interest rate, drawdown mechanics, security requirements, reporting requirements, standard terms and any project-specific conditions.
  • Review accompanying security documents, which may include mortgage security, assignments of rents and leases, material contracts and insurance, and, where applicable, guarantees or inter-creditor agreements.
  • Sign the loan documents and return them to CMHC within 30 days to accept the financing.
• Step 10: Request first advance and subsequent drawdowns
  • After execution of the loan agreement, follow the drawdown schedule contained in the agreement, which sets out when and in what amounts funds will be advanced.
  • Before the first advance, submit a draw request to CMHC along with the Borrower Certificate, project status certificate, project consultant’s certificate and any other documentation CMHC requires.
  • Typically receive an initial repayable loan advance of $50,000 to set the interest rate and the full forgivable loan (if approved) as part of the first advance.
  • Submit all required documentation at least 10 days before each scheduled drawdown date, as specified in the loan agreement, for subsequent advances.

• Applications must be supported by another level of government, which can be demonstrated through invested resources or a formal letter of endorsement.
• There is a transition period for updated energy efficiency and accessibility requirements; to use the previous standards, complete applications must be submitted by September 30, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
• Complete applications are targeted to receive a decision (decline or conditional approval) within 30 days, and applicants then have 90 days to submit underwriting documents.
• The program gives explicit priority to rural, Northern and Indigenous-led affordable housing projects.