APCHQ — Get financing through the Canada Greener Affordable Housing program: Pre-Retrofit Funding for multi-unit residential buildings

• The applicant must have an affordable housing purpose and a clear mandate to provide housing to lower-income households or populations in need.
• The applicant must be a community housing provider (non-profit housing organization, public housing agency or rental co-operative), an Indigenous government or organization (including First Nations, Tribal Councils and Indigenous housing providers), or a provincial, territorial or municipal government.
• The project must involve an eligible residential property type, such as mixed-income or mixed-use with affordable rental housing, community housing, affordable rental housing, Indigenous community housing and cultural spaces, shelters, transitional or supportive housing, or single-room occupancy.
• The project must be primarily residential, include at least 5 units or beds, and the non-residential portion of the building must not exceed 30% of the total gross floor area.
• The residential building must generally be at least 20 years old, with possible flexibility on building age for Indigenous, Northern or remote organizations.

Who is eligible?

• Community housing providers (non-profit housing organizations, public housing agencies, rental co-operatives)
• Indigenous governments and organizations (including First Nations, Tribal Councils, Indigenous housing providers)
• Provincial governments
• Territorial governments
• Municipal governments

Who is not eligible

• Private market housing organizations that do not have an affordable housing purpose or proven mandate to serve lower-income households or populations in need.

Eligible expenses

• Costs for a building condition assessment (BCA) report.
• Fees for an energy audit (ASHRAE Level 3 or equivalent).
• Expenses for an energy modelling study.
• Professional fees for project drawings and technical specifications.
• Engineering study costs related to planned retrofits.
• Preparation of construction cost estimates for the retrofit work.
• Costs to develop a business case demonstrating the retrofit’s benefits or impacts.
• Environmental site assessment or hazardous materials report expenses.
• Site survey fees required to plan the retrofit.

Eligible geographic areas

• Organizations located anywhere in Canada, as this is a federal program administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
• Indigenous, Northern or remote communities within Canada, which may benefit from flexibility on building age requirements.

• Examination of project eligibility by CMHC, including compliance with program requirements.
• Possible ranking of projects in order of priority following the application submission period.
• Processing of new applications on a "first-come, first-served" basis when the portal reopens and funds remain available.
• Assessment of the completeness of the file, a prerequisite for issuing a contribution agreement.

• The application portal is currently closed; CMHC may consider re-opening it if funds remain after reviewing existing applications.
• Future Pre-Retrofit Funding application call-out windows, when opened, will each remain open for 60 days.
• The overall envelope for this program is $19.5 million in contributions, available through a call-out, application-based process.
• Applicants are expected to submit invoices for approved expenses within the same fiscal year in which their project was approved.