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

• Expression of Interest form
• Funding Request Form
• Energy Assessment Report (ASHRAE Level 2 or above)
• Signed contractor quotes or copies of signed cost estimates for the intended improvements
• Completed Pre-Authorized Property Tax Payment Program Application Form

Who is eligible?

• Owners of older multi-unit residential apartment buildings in the City of Toronto
• Owners of private rental apartment buildings
• Owners of social housing
• Owners of housing co-operatives, including non-profit co-ops and equity co-ops
• Non-profit housing providers

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

• Building envelope improvements, including window and balcony door replacements, window and door caulking, exterior wall cladding, solar air heating systems, and insulated roofing
• Mechanical system upgrades, including boilers, booster pumps, building automation systems, make-up air units, garage exhaust fan and CO controls, heat and energy recovery ventilators, heat pumps, and cooling system upgrades
• Water fixtures, including low flow and ultra-low flow toilets
• Renewable energy systems, including solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling
• Lighting systems and controls, any measure that provides energy efficiency or water conservation benefits, and improvements that improve the building’s resilience to extreme weather such as flood protection measures or interior cooling

• 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.

• Submit an Expression of Interest form to determine whether the property is eligible to participate.
• Complete a Funding Request Form and submit it with signed contractor quotes, a copy of the energy assessment report, and a completed Pre-Authorized Property Tax Payment Program Application Form.

• The City reviews the Expression of Interest and Funding Request to determine whether program eligibility requirements are met and issues a Notice to Proceed if the property is eligible.
• If the Funding Request is approved, the City prepares a Property Owner Agreement; all property owners listed on the registered title must sign it before the project can begin.
• Upon signing the Property Owner Agreement, recipients receive 30% of the approved funding, another 30% is issued after the Interim Project Report and confirmed progress, and the remaining funds are issued after final completion review and verification.
• The final funding disbursement is not processed until after the Project Completion Report and attachments have been reviewed for compliance and the Expected Incentive Amount has been verified by Enbridge Gas and Toronto Hydro, if applicable.
• Property owners repay the City through 11 monthly instalments per year on the property tax bill, with no payment in January, and may make a one-time payment to clear the outstanding special charge at any time.

• 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.