Ontario – Sean Fraser, the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, announced two new measures that will help unlock more homes across the country.
The launch of the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund’s (CHIF) $1 billion direct delivery stream will provide communities across Canada with funding to build or improve the critical infrastructure – such as drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste – that will in turn help them build more homes.
Starting today, municipalities and Indigenous communities will be able to apply online. Applicants will need to clearly demonstrate how their proposed projects will support more homes by expanding or improving critical infrastructure. Municipalities with a population larger than 30,000 will be required to allow four units to be built in their communities. More information about the CHIF, including details on eligibility and how to apply, can be found on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s website.
CHIF is a $6 billion program announced through Budget 2024 and supports the objectives of Canada’s Housing Plan. The remaining $5 billion will be delivered through agreements with provinces and territories that support local infrastructure priorities while advancing federal housing objectives. He also announced that Canada’s Regional Development Agencies have begun accepting applications for the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative (RHII). Through RHII, Canada’s Regional Development Agencies are investing $50 million over two years, beginning this year, to provide support to the residential home construction sector and its supply chain.
The initiative will advance innovative homebuilding solutions while boosting manufacturing efficiency and output to improve capacity within the homebuilding sector across the country. It will also prioritize projects such as modular housing, the use of 3D printing, and panelized construction.
The minister also launched a new initiative that will help change the way homes are built to better meet the demands of our growing country. As Canadians across the Prairies look for solutions to alleviate local housing pressures, the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative will help transform the future of how homes are built. By accelerating innovation and enhancing efficiency, Canadian builders will be able to build more homes faster.
Through the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative, the Government of Canada will invest $50 million over two years, beginning this year, to provide support to the residential home construction sector and its supply chain. Delivered through Canada’s Regional Development Agencies, including PrairiesCan, these investments will advance innovative homebuilding solutions and boost manufacturing efficiency and output to improve capacity within the homebuilding sector in the Prairie provinces and across Canada.
Minister Vandal announced that PrairiesCan is now accepting expressions of interest from businesses across the region. Eligible applicants are encouraged to visit PrairiesCan’s web site to seek additional information.
This initiative, an important part of Canada’s Housing Plan, is helping to build tomorrow’s housing solutions today. The Government of Canada is committed to helping businesses innovate and increase productivity in the housing construction sector and its supply chain, while also creating opportunities to build a region and a country we can be proud of, where everyone has a place to call home.