How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 100% of admissible expenses.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who are the financial supporters of the Rapid Housing Initiative — Projects Stream?

Rapid Housing Initiative — Projects Stream is funded by Government of Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

What are Rapid Housing Initiative — Projects Stream's eligibility criterias?

Applicants must target vulnerable populations identified under the National Housing Strategy. The projects aimed to create permanent affordable housing units.

Rapid Housing Initiative — Projects Stream

Last Update: April 2, 2025

Canada

Funding to build affordable housing

Rapid Housing Initiative — Projects Stream at a glance

Eligible Funding

Min. $1,000,000
Up to 100% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : October 27, 2020
Closing date : March 15, 2023

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Construction
Real estate and rental and leasing
Health care and social assistance

Grant Providers

Government of Canada
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

Status

Closed

Overview of the Rapid Housing Initiative — Projects Stream program

Get capital contribution funding to cover rapid construction of new housing and/or acquisition of existing buildings for rehabilitation or conversion to permanent affordable housing.

Eligible projects & activities

There are eligible projects for this grant. The funding is targeted towards creating new units of permanent affordable housing for vulnerable populations, with a focus on women-focused affordable housing projects.

Creation of new units of permanent affordable housing
Projects targeting vulnerable populations
At least 25% of investments going towards women-focused affordable housing projects

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 6,000,000

New affordable housing development for seniors

$ 3,000,000

Acquisition and conversion of a heritage building into affordable housing

$ 2,500,000

Construction of modular affordable housing for the homeless

$ 4,000,000

Renovation of an existing building to convert into affordable housing units

$ 5,000,000

Construction of new affordable housing units for single mothers

$ 5,000,000

Development of affordable housing complex for Indigenous women

Eligibility criteria of the Rapid Housing Initiative — Projects Stream program

Eligible expenses

The RHI funding does cover eligible expenses. Eligible expenses include:

Construction costs
Soft costs (e.g., professional fees, permits)
Land costs
Eligible remediation costs
Non-profit sponsor costs that are integral to the project

Eligibility criteria of the Rapid Housing Initiative — Projects Stream program

There are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant:

Alignment with the objectives of the National Housing Strategy.
Demonstrated ability to create new units of permanent affordable housing.
Focus on vulnerable populations and women-focused affordable housing projects.
Feasibility and sustainability of the proposed affordable housing units.

How to apply to the Rapid Housing Initiative — Projects Stream program

Submission of Certificates

Access the client portal of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Download and complete the required certificates according to the details outlined in the guide provided in PDF format.

Consultation of the Management Guide

Consult the step-by-step PDF guide for proper management of the submitted certificates.

Additional information

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

Successful applicants are required to submit attestations through CMHC’s Client Portal.
The additional funding aims to create a total of 4,500 new affordable housing units.
At least 25% of the investment must specifically support women-focused affordable housing projects.
The RHI funding under Budget 2022 focuses on immediate housing needs to allocate all funds by March 31, 2024.
The total funding of $1.5 billion is divided into two streams: $1 billion for the Projects Stream and $500 million for the Cities Stream.
The application window for this funding round is currently closed.
Applicants can seek further assistance regarding the National Housing Strategy or require technical support via the provided contact details.