Grant applications closed on July 5, 2026.
This grant program was created to help accelerate housing projects in Guelph.
Funded through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, this program was designed to move housing forward before the end of 2026.
Applications were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
How Much Was Available
- Up to $10,000 per unit, for up to 20 per cent of the total units in a project
- A total of $2 million was available through the grant program.
This meant a single project could receive funding for multiple units.
Who Was Eligible
Projects needed to:
- Create a minimum of five new self-contained housing units
- Commit to having a building permit issued to construct new units on or before October 16, 2026
- Not have received funding for the same units through the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan grants
Program Details
- Grants were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, based on application submission timestamps.
- Applications were reviewed and approved in the order received.
- The approval process was intentionally streamlined, with no competitive evaluation, to support faster permitting.
Can I Stack Funding?
Individual units cannot receive funding from more than one City grant program. Other units within the same project may access other funding programs, but will not be counted in the accelerator grant calculation.
For example, let’s pretend you are planning a 120-unit mixed market housing development. You have committed to speed up the development timeline from early 2027 to October 16, 2026.
You have secured funding for 20 units through the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan grants. For the purposes of the multi-unit accelerator grant, the project has 100 eligible units, 20% of which could receive funding.
Important Dates
- Applications opened: June 1, 2026
- Applications closed: July 5, 2026
- Permit deadline: Building permit must be issued by October 16, 2026.
Questions?
Email [email protected] to reach the Community and Affordable Housing team.