Collective Leverage: Community bonds help develop affordable housing

In urban neighborhoods, low-income households are experiencing rapid increases in rents.

In response to this, CMHC funded a study through the Research and Planning Fund initiative.

The aim of the study was to develop local solutions to betterunderstand the use of community bonds as:

• a crowdfunding model
• a funding lever for affordable housing in a competitive real estate environment

This project led to a review of the opportunities and challenges associated with community bonds as leverage for crowdfunding for affordable housing initiatives.

Objectives achieved:

• Validate the importance of funding affordable housing that meet the needs of low-income communities who face systemic discrimination in the rental market.
• Bring together stakeholders where crowdfunding and real estate and community development intersect by holding a forum to share preliminary results.
• Inform other key players in the non-subsidized community housing sector in Canada.
• Consolidate an ecosystem of local and national partners that contributes to sustainable social transformation with respect to housing and mutual support for residents.

Author:

CMHC

Document Type:

PDF

Date Published:

November 4, 2021