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Glossary of Terms

Affordable Housing - Income Based Affordability

Housing is considered affordable when it costs less than 30% of before-tax household income. Affordability will be assessed locally (e.g., at the municipal/census subdivision level) and across income groups:

  • Very low income: less than 25% of area median income
  • Low income: 26-50% of area median income
  • Moderate income: 51-75% of area median income
  • Median income: 76-100% of area median income

Canadian-Sourced Materials

Building materials that have undergone primary manufacturing, processing, or extraction within Canada, in particular, lumber, steel and aluminum.

Climate Resiliency

Climate resilience refers to the ability of a system—such as a community, building, or ecosystem—to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate-related hazards and long-term changes.

Co-Operative Housing (non-equity)

Non-Equity Co-Op is a type of housing co-operative where members do not own equity in the property. Instead, they pay a monthly housing charge (similar to rent) with the right to occupy a unit as long as they follow the co-op's rules and remain members in good standing.

Early-Stage Proposal

An early-stage proposal is a housing project that is more than 12 months away from construction as it still requires planning, approvals, or design work before it is ready to build.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency in new construction means designing, constructing, and operating buildings in ways that significantly minimize energy use, while maintaining comfort, performance, and safety. It involves optimizing building systems, building envelopes, and renewable integration to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Factory-Built Housing Solutions

Factory-built homes are residential dwellings constructed, in whole or in substantial part, within a controlled manufacturing facility using modern methods of construction. This process typically involves the off-site fabrication of building components or modules, which are then transported to the final site for assembly and finishing.

Freehold Tenure

Freehold tenure is a form of property ownership where the owner has complete and indefinite ownership of both the land and any structures on it.

Frequent Builder

Frequent Builders are housing providers recognized by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for consistently delivering projects, with strong financial health, credit history, and operational capacity.

Hard Costs

Hard costs are the physical construction expenses of a building, including labour, materials, and fixed equipment. They cover items such as structural work, utilities, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, safety systems, site preparation, and landscaping.

Indigenous Communities

Indigenous communities are communities that are primarily First Nations, Métis, or Inuit. They include reserves, settlements, and treaty lands. Whether a community is considered Indigenous will be based on factors such as population, governance, culture, history, and self-identification.

Leasehold Tenure

Leasehold tenure refers to a form of property ownership where the buyer owns the building or dwelling, but not the land it sits on. Instead, the land is leased through a formal agreement from a landowner for a specified period of time.

Local Homelessness-Serving System

A local homelessness-serving system includes all service providers in a geographic area that support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These providers help with housing challenges and basic needs like food and shelter. In communities with Coordinated Access, the system becomes more structured, working together to prioritize those most in need and help people prevent homelessness, find housing, and keep their tenancy.

Market Housing Units

Market housing units are units that are rented or priced based on prevailing market conditions.

Mixed-Income Housing

Mixed-income housing refers to residential developments that include units that are affordable for households across a range of income levels. This could include non-market and market units, and units that are considered affordable, with a mix of very-low, low, moderate, median and high income households within the same development or building.

Mixed-Use

Mixed-use housing refers to a type of real estate development that combines residential units with other uses, such as commercial, retail, office, institutional, or recreational spaces within the same building or site.

Modern Methods of Construction

Modern Methods of Construction is an umbrella term for innovative home building methods and technologies that can improve productivity, efficiency, and speed of homebuilding. Modern Methods of Construction includes a range of technologies, methods, and other innovations including but not limited to: factory-built manufacturing of components or modules (from panels to volumetric units); repeatable, standardized designs (but potentially mass-customizable); integration of digital design and production technologies (e.g., Building Information Modelling); and, innovative building materials (e.g., mass timber).

Non-Market Housing

Non-market housing refers to residential units owned or operated by organizations that do not set rents or manage their housing to maximize financial returns. This type of housing is typically developed, owned and managed by non-profit organizations, co-operatives, land trusts, Indigenous groups, or government agencies with the goal of providing long-term, stable, and affordable housing.

On Reserve or Indigenous Land Ownership Structure

On reserve refers to land on a First Nations reserve, including an urban reserve. Reserve lands are a tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in the Crown, that has been set apart for the use and benefit of a (First Nations) band.

An Indigenous land ownership structure refers to lands governed by a land ownership structure under Indigenous law, such as on settlement or treaty lands.

Real Estate Portfolio

A real estate portfolio is a collection of real property investment assets. Proposals submitted to Build Canada Homes at the portfolio level are a collection of housing projects (e.g., phased construction or master planned community) that can be assessed together or in relation to each other, with the intent that Build Canada Homes requirements will be achieved at an aggregate level across all properties.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation refers to major repairs to existing buildings that have been lost from the housing stock due to disrepair or abandonment.

Rural, Remote and Northern Communities

Rural: Rural areas include all land lying outside population centres and the people living within those rural areas. 

A rural community is defined as a Census Subdivision (CSD) that is not within a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) or Census Agglomerations (CA). CMAs have a total population of at least 100,000 of which at least 50,000 live in the core. CAs have a total population of at least 10,000. 

Remote: Remote refers to a community that is either a long distance from larger settlements (population centre) or lacks transportation links that are typical in more populated areas. 

Northern: The North is defined as the territories of Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. 

Scale

Projects that deliver a meaningful increase in housing supply, considering the type of housing and local market context.

Key dimensions of scale could include:

  1. Unit Impact: The net new affordable housing units and total housing units added, assessed in relation to the local context. Projects should demonstrate a material impact on the community and housing market—for example, a portfolio that adds 50 units in a small northern town may be as transformative as a 500-unit development in a major urban centre.
  2. Acuity of Need: Considers whether the project is in an area with a clearly demonstrated need for affordable housing, ensuring investments are directed where they are most urgently required.

Seniors Independent Living

Seniors independent living refers to a type of housing designed for older adults—typically aged 55 and older--who are generally healthy, mobile, and capable of living on their own without the need for daily medical or personal care.

Shovel Ready

Projects that are fully planned and ready to commence construction within 12 months or less. Proposals should include one or more projects that are sufficiently advanced in planning and approvals to begin construction within 12 months.

Soft Costs

Soft costs are costs to develop housing that are not considered hard costs. Soft costs include everything from architectural and engineering fees to legal fees, pre- and post-construction expenses, permits and taxes, insurance, etc.

Student Rental Housing (on and off campus)

Student rental housing refers to accommodations specifically designed or designated for students who are pursuing post-secondary education. 

On-campus housing refers to student housing located within the boundaries of the post-secondary campus.

Off-campus housing refers to student housing located outside the boundaries of the post-secondary campus.

Supportive Housing

Supportive housing is permanent housing, affordable to low and very low-income households with integrated, wraparound supports for people with complex needs such as mental/physical health, developmental disabilities, substance use, among others. This can include supportive housing programs in a single building with onsite supports for high acuity clients, as well as scattered site housing.

Transitional Housing

Transitional housing (or bridge housing) is short-term housing—usually up to 3 years—affordable to low and very low-income households, designed to help people move into permanent homes. It often includes supports like case management and life skills training to prepare residents for independent living. Transitional housing can take many forms, such as single-room occupancy units, tiny homes, or other temporary setups focused on long-term stability.

Wrap-Around Supports

Wrap-around supports are flexible, culturally appropriate, person-centered services that help people stay housed. They are tailored to individual needs and may include help from professionals, family, or peers. Supports can involve medical care, life skills, budgeting, landlord mediation, and having someone to call when issues arise.


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