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Overview
Are you a non-profit interested in building affordable housing? Explore seed funding grants to help cover your pre-construction costs.
Background
The City is providing seed funding to registered non-profits and charitable corporations interested in building affordable housing. Non-profits can use the seed funding to help cover pre-construction costs, such as feasibility studies, site surveys or planning fees.
Should the proposed development move forward, rental housing units must remain affordable for at least 25 years at the rates set through the Province’s Affordable Residential Unit Bulletin for Guelph.
The Affordable Housing Seed Funding Grant Program is one of the ways that the City is working with partners like non-profits to create more opportunities for affordable housing in Guelph. The seed funding grants are one of the actions included in the City’s Housing Affordability Strategy which aims to increase housing that is affordable in Guelph over the next decade.
How much is available?
Non-profits can apply for up to $25,000 to support preconstruction activities, such as:
- Analysis of need and demand for the proposed project
- Special purpose surveys
- Financial feasibility studies
- Business plans
- Professional appraisals
- Site surveys
- Planning fees (for example, rezoning, development agreement costs)
- Project viability studies
- Environment site assessments
- Geotechnical reports (soil load bearing tests)
- Energy modelling studies (cost-benefit analysis)
- Accessibility modelling studies (cost-benefit analysis)
- Preliminary design assistance
Who is eligible?
To be eligible, you must be a registered non-profit or charitable corporation that:
- meets the criteria of a non-profit developer under the Development Charges Act (1997)
- is in good standing with either the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (2010), Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (2009), or is registered as a non-profit housing co-operative under the Co-operative Corporations Act (1990) with the primary objective of providing housing that is affordable.
Note: Stacking of the City’s affordable housing seed funding grants and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation seed funding is permitted.
How does the City evaluate applications?
The City will convene three times each year to evaluate proposals based on how they address local housing needs in the city. The team will consider:
- form and size of housing units;
- structure type;
- intended use of grant funding;
- length that the housing units will remain affordable (minimum 25 years); and
- alignment with the City’s Housing Affordability Strategy.
Apply today!
Have a project in mind? Follow these steps to apply:
- Read through the Affordable Housing Seed Funding Grant Program Information.
- Download and fill out the application form.
- Email [email protected] with your completed application. You can also drop off or mail your application to:
City of Guelph
Strategic Initiatives and Intergovernmental Services
Attn: Affordable Housing Seed Funding Grant Program
Carden Street
Guelph, ON N1H 3A1
We will accept seed funding applications on a rolling basis. The first round will be evaluated in summer 2025, and we will notify you of the results.
For more information
Please email [email protected] or call 519-822-1260 to speak to the ServiceGuelph team.