High-Rise Retrofit Improvement Support Program (Hi-RIS)

• Maximum funding amount is up to 10% of the property's Current Value Assessment (CVA), with a cap of $2.5 million per building.
• Financing terms available from 5 to 20 years, with fixed interest rates set by the City.
• An administrative charge of 0.8% applies to the final funding amount, billed over the selected term.

• The property must be a residential rental apartment building built before 1990 with three or more storeys, located in the City of Toronto.
• All registered owners of the building must consent to participation in the program.
• Property taxes, utility bills, and all other payment obligations to the City must be in good standing for the past five years.
• Owners must comply with obligations to any financial institutions or lenders holding a mortgage interest in the property.
• The application must include a qualifying energy assessment report (ASHRAE Level 2 or above) identifying the eligible improvements.

Who is eligible?

• Owners of residential rental apartment buildings built before 1990 with three or more storeys in the City of Toronto

Who is not eligible

• Owners of properties that are not residential rental apartment buildings built before 1990 with three or more storeys in the City of Toronto.
• Property owners who are not in good standing with property taxes, utility bills, or other payments owed to the City over the past five years.

Eligible expenses

• Replacement of windows and balcony doors
• Caulking of windows and doors
• Installation of exterior wall cladding
• Solar air heating systems
• Insulated roofing
• Upgrades to mechanical systems such as boilers, booster pumps, building automation systems, make-up air units, garage exhaust fan and CO controls, heat/energy recovery ventilators, heat pumps, and cooling system upgrades
• Installation of low flow or ultra-low flow toilets
• Installation of renewable energy systems (e.g., solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling)
• LED lighting systems and controls
• Other measures providing energy efficiency or water conservation benefits, as identified in an eligible energy assessment report

Eligible geographic areas

• City of Toronto

• Submission of an energy assessment report (ASHRAE level 2 or higher) clearly identifying the proposed improvements.
• Submission of signed bids or estimates for the planned work, from qualified contractors.
• Verification of the compliance of the submitted documents, including the application form and the project completion report.
• Adherence to the procedure for validating costs and the eligibility of expenses by the City before the final disbursement.

• The payment obligation for the special charge attaches to the property, not the owner, and transfers to new owners if the property is sold.
• Property owners must not apply for rent increases above the guideline in connection with improvements funded by the program.
• Participation in the program requires enrollment in the City’s pre-authorized payment plan, with automatic withdrawals occurring 11 times per year.
• Final funding disbursement occurs only after submission and City approval of a Project Completion Report.