There are several possible repayable loan and/or forgivable loan combinations. Low-interest repayable loans will be available for up to 20 years to fund projects demonstrating financial viability and long-term affordability.

• Repayable loan: a loan that is to be repaid monthly within a specific time frame.
• Forgivable loan: a loan that could be forgiven if you meet program criteria and targets.

Each repayable loan offers:

• Either
• A 10-year term (closed to pre-payment) with a fixed interest rate locked in at first advance. The term will be renewable for another 10 years and the interest rate will reset when renewed.
• A 20-year term (closed to pre-payment) with a fixed interest rate locked in at first advance.
• Up to a 40-year amortization for smaller monthly payments and long-term viability.
• Co-operatives, non-profits and Indigenous groups can receive the lessor of:
• up to 95% loan-to-cost for residential space or
• 85% loan to-value.
• Municipalities, provinces, territories and private sector can receive up to 75% loan-to-cost for residential space and up to 75% loan-to-cost for non-residential space.
• Interest-only payments until loan is fully advanced.

We consider repayable loans first. Forgivable loans may be available in addition to a repayable loan in the following circumstances:

• additional funding for higher performing projects to offset higher costs of meeting or exceeding minimum requirements.

Contribution Only Funding through the Affordable Housing Fund supports organizations that have already partnered and secured funding but require more capital. It can be used to:

• top-up funding — when you have most of your project funding secured and require top-up funding to close a funding gap
• leverage other funding sources — get funding confirmation within 30 days of being prioritized that can then be used to secure funding from other sources

Contribution Funding provides:

• an unsecured contribution that facilitates seamless integration into project financing structures. This can make it easier for you to attract other sources of funding.
• more certainty on funding amounts, please refer to the Project Assessment Workbook — Contribution Only for more details.

Projects must have support from another level of government (such as municipalities, provinces and/or territories or Indigenous governments) to ensure coordination of investments. Support can be in the form of investment of resources but could also be in the form of a letter stating endorsement for the project.

Organizational requirements

The Affordable Housing Fund – Renovation, Repair and Renewal Stream is open to:

• community housing providers (for example, public or private non-profit housing organizations or rental co-operatives)
• municipalities
• provinces and territories
• Indigenous governments and organizations
• private sector

Note: Private sector organizations are not eligible for contribution only funding.

Project requirements

We consider the following projects for funding:

• community and affordable housing
• urban Indigenous community housing
• mixed use market / affordable rental
• shelters
• transitional and supportive housing

All projects must

• have a minimum of 5 units/beds
• have primary use as residential
• meet minimum requirements for partnerships, financial viability (XLS), accessibility (PDF) and energy efficiency (PDF).

Projects with the most ambitious commitments to accessibility and energy efficiency will be prioritized for funding.

Prioritization of applications

In addition to meeting mandatory minimum requirements, projects are prioritized based on achievements of accessibility and energy efficiency. The Fund also prioritizes projects with higher scores in achieving social outcomes within the following priority areas:

• shovel readiness (how quickly will construction begin?)
• provincial and territorial input (are all funding sources confirmed and are other funding sources determined?)
• greater affordability
• greater energy efficiency
• greater accessibility
• proximity to transit, childcare centres and community centres
• stronger financial partnerships with other funders
• integrated support and services for tenants on site
• supporting priority groups

Considerations for Indigenous and Northern Housing Solutions clients

In addition to a Ministerial Loan Guarantee (MLG), CMHC is now accepting 4 additional alternative types of security for projects on First Nation lands.

Considerations for municipalities

In instances where municipalities are unable to provide the required forms of mortgage security, debentures may be considered as an alternative, on a case-by-case basis.

Timelines are approximations and will depend on the complexity and completeness of the application.

Application Steps:

This process takes time. To speed up your application, be prepared to submit specific documents throughout the process. Inability to provide the outlined documents at each stage of the process will inhibit progression of the file and may result in withdrawal of the submission.

Refer to the Required Documentation Checklist (PDF)

Please refer to these documents to support your application:

• Program Highlight Sheet — Repair and Renewal (PDF)
• Required Documentation Checklist – Repair and Renewal (PDF)
• Project Assessment Workbook — Repair and Renewal (XLS)
• Project Assessment Workbook — Repair and Renewal (XLS) — Contribution Only
• Energy Efficiency Attestation (PDF)
• Accessibility Attestation (PDF)
• Integrity Declaration (PDF)
• Applicant Guide (PDF)

The Affordable Housing Fund minimum requirements for energy efficiency and accessibility were updated in November 2024 to align with newer codes and standards. We understand that these changes may challenge projects where the design is already in progress and may result in financial impacts.

Transition period guidelines

To help with the transition, applications meeting the criteria below can use the previous Affordable Housing Fund energy efficiency and accessibility minimum requirements, until September 30, 2025. Regardless of which codes are used, we will prioritize applications that show the strongest commitment to improving social outcomes.

Important deadline

• Submit your application, including all required documents, on or before September 30, 2025, 11:59 pm ET, to qualify for the transition period.
• Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted and incomplete applications will not be processed.

You can find the checklist of required documents on the Affordable Housing Fund website under each program option.

Application guidelines

To ensure your application is eligible for review, please follow these guidelines:

• Submit your application before September 30, 2025, to ensure it is completed on time.
• Make sure your application is complete.
• Submit all required documents.

After September 30, 2025, 11:59 pm ET, we will only review and process complete applications.

If you would like to discuss how these changes may affect your application or next steps, please contact us.

We strongly encourage you to submit your application with all required documents before the September 30, 2025, deadline to ensure eligibility. After this date, no changes or updates to your application will be accepted.