Ottawa – Investing in communities is vital to achieving Canada’s goals—creating jobs, meeting our environmental objectives, and building affordable and liveable communities for residents. With aging housing stock, rising energy costs and increasing demand for affordable housing, municipalities and affordable housing providers face a unique challenge. That is why the Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) created the Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) initiative to support more affordable and energy efficient housing and help people build better lives.
This initiative is investing $1,329,325 for 13 pilot projects, plans and studies to support the building or retrofitting of 1,198 units in communities across Canada. Local affordable housing providers would be able to leverage this investment to retrofit existing affordable housing or build new, energy efficient units that emit lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Threshold Housing Society, supported by the City of Victoria, British Columbia, will receive $105,500 to complete a feasibility study and redevelopment design concept of an existing site.
- Mayne Island Housing Society will receive $25,000 for an affordable housing plan to achieve net-zero energy ready (NZER) in Mayne Island, British Columbia.
- Wachiay Friendship Centre will receive $25,000 for the Wachiay affordable housing project plan to achieve net zero energy (NZE) in Courtenay, British Columbia.
- The Bloom Group will receive $25,000 to develop a plan for energy assessments and retrofits of 441 housing units across six buildings in Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Gulf Islands Affordable Rental Housing Society will receive $25,000 to develop an affordable housing plan to achieve NZE in Galiano Island, British Columbia.
- University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation will receive $175,000 to study the feasibility of increasing affordability and energy efficiency of 214 units in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- County of Northumberland will receive $175,000 for a NZER feasibility study to develop a new affordable housing project in Cobourg, Ontario.
- Region of Peel will receive $174,800 to study the feasibility of a zero-carbon/NZE affordable housing project in Peel Region, Ontario.
- Hamilton East Kiwanis Non-Profit Homes, Inc. will receive $25,625 for a deep energy retrofit assessment in Hamilton, Ontario.
- Alex Laidlaw Housing Co-operative will receive $23,400 for a plan to achieve energy efficiency in an existing 36-unit cooperative building in Ottawa, Ontario.
- Le Gîte Ami will receive $25,000 to explore various energy efficient options for transitional housing in Gatineau, Quebec.
- Village Urbain will receive $25,000 to plan the construction of NZE affordable cohabitation housing in Laval, Quebec.
- The National Affordable Housing Corporation, with the City of Regina, in Saskatchewan, will receive $500,000 for a pilot project to build its first Net-Zero Energy (NZE) development to date.
The Government of Canada endowed the $300-million Sustainable Affordable Housing initiative as part of a $950-million expansion of FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) in Budget 2019. The SAH initiative assists municipal providers, not-for-profit organizations, or housing cooperatives with grants, loans, and capacity-building resources to support ambitious energy-efficiency standards in the construction and retrofitting of affordable housing.
These initiatives highlight some of the ways GMF continues to build on its 20-year record of supporting transformative environmental initiatives at the community level. The Government of Canada has invested $1.65 billion in GMF since its inception, enabling municipalities to support projects like this that leverage local resources to drive innovative solutions.
Quotes
“The investments announced today will help cities and communities of all sizes tackle affordable housing challenges, create jobs, and build a greener, more sustainable country. Municipalities’ expertise gets results where Canadians need it most – at the local level. That is why FCM continues to deliver results with our federal partners—helping municipalities build better lives for Canadians.”
– Joanne Vanderheyden, President, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
“Improvements in energy efficiency are our ‘hidden fuel’ – they help us exceed our climate goals. These local green solutions create jobs, lower emissions and build a more prosperous and sustainable economy for everyone. This is how we get to net-zero by 2050.”
– The Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources
“Cities are key partners in pioneering practical climate solutions. Through the Green Municipal Fund, we’re supporting municipalities in their efforts to lower emissions through projects like energy-efficient retrofits, electric and hybrid-electric transit pilots and efficiencies in wastewater treatment. By working together, we can create good jobs and grow the economy, protect the environment and build cleaner, more inclusive communities.”
– The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
“Cutting emissions from homes and buildings is a critical part of our plan to create jobs and build healthier communities across the country. By investing in more efficient affordable housing, we are helping Canadians save on energy costs, while ensuring cleaner air for our children and grandchildren.”
- The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Associated links
Green Municipal Fund
Sustainable Affordable Housing initiative
Contacts
FCM Media Relations
613-907-6395
media@fcm.ca
Ian Cameron
Senior Communications Advisor
Office of the Minister of Natural Resources
613-447-3488
Ian.Cameron@canada.ca
Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
343-292-6100
NRCan.media.RNCan@canada.ca
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