Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund: Before you apply - Applicant guide for the direct delivery stream (Fall 2024 intake)

• Copyright

  © His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, 2024.

  Catalogue No. T94-75/2024E-PDF

  ISBN 978-0-660-73958-8

Table of contents

Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund:
Before you apply - Applicant guide for
the direct delivery stream
(Fall 2024 intake)
(PDF Version)

• 1. About the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund
  • 1.1. Purpose of the Canada Housing and Infrastructure Fund
  • 1.2. CHIF funding streams
  • 1.3. How does the CHIF direct delivery stream work?
• 2. Eligibility requirements under the direct delivery stream
  • 2.1. Who can apply to the direct delivery stream?
  • 2.2. What types of projects are eligible for funding?
  • 2.3. Eligibility checklist
  • 2.4. Housing conditions
  • 2.5. Federal requirements and reporting
• 3. How will my application be assessed?
• 4. Project finances
  • 4.1. Federal contribution
  • 4.2. Budgeting for project expenses (eligible and ineligible costs)
• 5. Additional information
  • 5.1. Supporting documents
  • 5.2. For more information
• Annex A: Glossary of terms
  • A.1 Acronyms
  • A.2 Definitions
• Annex B: List of municipalities subject to Development Charge freezes
• Annex C: Privacy and confidentiality

1. About the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund

1.1 Purpose of the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund

Announced in Budget 2024, the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) is a $6 billion fund that aims to accelerate new construction, rehabilitation and expansion of housing-enabling drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste infrastructure, directly supporting the creation of new housing supply and improved densification.

1.2 CHIF funding streams

CHIF is delivered through two funding streams:

• Direct delivery stream: $1 billion over 8 years to be delivered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC). Funding is available directly to municipalities and other eligible recipients.
• Provincial and territorial agreement stream: $5 billion over 10 years to be delivered by the provinces and territories.

This guide is intended to support applications under the direct delivery stream, which provides funding directly to municipalities and other eligible recipients to support pressing infrastructure needs that directly enable new housing.

1.3 How does the CHIF direct delivery stream work?

The CHIF direct delivery stream is a merit-based contribution funding program. The selection of projects is based on eligibility criteria and the achievement of a minimum merit score, as well as availability of funding.

See sections 2 and 3 of this guide for more details on eligibility and merit criteria.

CHIF uses a continuous intake, whereby project applications may be submitted at anytime while the intake remains open. Project applications received before the final closing date may be reviewed and approved during the application intake period. Please consult the CHIF webpage for intake dates.

2. Eligibility requirements under the direct delivery stream

This section provides an overview of eligibility requirements under the CHIF direct delivery stream. Before applying, please read this section carefully and ensure that the applicant and project meet all the required criteria to be eligible under the program.

Note: some eligibility requirements differ for Indigenous applicants. For Indigenous communities and organizations, please refer to the Indigenous Applicant Guide for more tailored information.

2.1 Who can apply to the direct delivery stream?

The following applicants are eligible under the CHIF direct delivery stream:

• A municipal or regional government ^{Footnote 1} established by or under provincial or territorial statute; 
• A public sector body that is established by or under provincial or territorial statute or by regulation or is wholly owned by a province, territory, municipal or regional government, including, but not limited to: 
  • Municipally owned corporations (e.g., autonomous organizations owned by municipalities, used to produce or deliver local public services outside the local bureaucracy); 
  • A provincial or territorial organization that delivers municipal services (e.g., public utilities, community health services, and economic development bodies); 
  • Any other form of local governance that exists outside of the municipality description (e.g., local service districts); 
• An incorporated not-for-profit organization; 
• A private sector, for-profit body, if it is working in collaboration with an eligible public sector entity, as described above, or with an eligible Indigenous applicant as described below; 
• An Indigenous applicant,as follows see Indigenous Applicant Guide for expanded definitions.
  • An Indigenous Governing Body, including but not limited to:
    • A band council within the meaning of section 2 of the Indian Act;
    • A First Nation, Inuit or Métis government or authority established pursuant to a Self-Government Agreement or a Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement between His Majesty the King in right of Canada and an Indigenous people of Canada, that has been approved, given effect and declared valid by federal legislation;
    • A First Nation, Inuit or Métis government established by or under legislation whether federal or provincial or territorial that incorporates a governance structure;
  • A not-for-profit organization whose central mandate is to improve Indigenous outcomes;
  • An Indigenous development corporation.

2.2 What types of projects are eligible for funding?

Eligible infrastructure projects must meet all applicable program requirements and support CHIF's objectives and expected outcomes. Eligible projects under CHIF are tied to enabling increased housing supply. For a project to be eligible, applicants must demonstrate in their application that there is a housing need, or that growth is expected in the community where the project will take place.

Eligible projects must also support increased capacity of municipal infrastructure related to drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, or solid waste management, as outlined below. Both capital and planning projects^{Footnote 2} are eligible under CHIF. 

Capital infrastructure projects include new construction, rehabilitation or expansion projects that result in tangible infrastructure, including hybrid and natural infrastructure, for the following systems:

• Drinking water systems, including drinking water treatment facilities, storage assets, pump stations, local and transmission pipes, and natural infrastructure;
  • Examples: A project that increases the treatment capacity of a water treatment plant to accommodate population increases or a project that reduces water losses (leakage) in a drinking water network which reduces total water use and frees up capacity at the water treatment plant to accommodate community growth.
• Wastewater systems, including wastewater storage and treatment facilities, lagoon systems, pump/lift stations, sanitary force mains and sewer pipes, combined sewer pipes and natural infrastructure;
  • Examples: A project that expands the linear infrastructure (e.g., sewer pipes) of a sanitary sewer system to accommodate community growth; or a project increasing the treatment capacity of a lagoon to accommodate housing densification efforts.
• Stormwater systems, including stormwater drainage pump stations, management facilities, pipes and natural infrastructure;
  • Example: A project that increases stormwater capacity, such as use of dry ponds in a public park in proximity of a planned housing development. The project would result in less stormwater entering the water network, extending system capacity to accommodate community growth in the nearby development. 

• Solid waste management systems, including landfills, organic waste processing, waste sorting, and thermal treatment .
  • Example: A waste diversion project that diverts organic waste (e.g. food or yard waste) away from a landfill. This would increase the lifespan of the landfill to process waste from the growing communities it services.

Planning projects primarily consist of studies, plans or design work. For a planning project to be eligible for funding, it must support a future capital project that would be considered eligible under CHIF and align with its objectives.

2.3 Eligibility checklist

Before starting an application, applicants should first ensure that they have the authority to create an application for their organization. Applicants should also confirm that their project meets each of the minimum eligibility requirements listed below.

Projects not meeting the criteria below will be deemed ineligible^{Footnote 3} : 

• The applicant is an eligible recipient for CHIF;
• The applicant owns or will own the asset or assets, or the applicant has or will have secured all necessary rights and interest in the asset or assets;
• The project is for planning, new construction, rehabilitation or expansion of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater or solid waste infrastructure that is primarily for public use or benefit;
• The project will increase system capacity or efficiency to enable increased housing supply or to address a housing need;
• The project meets housing conditions, if applicable (see Section 2.4 of this guide);
• The total eligible cost for the project is at least $1 million, but not greater than $100 million*;
• All requested eligible costs and expenditures will be in accordance with CHIF program guidance and are direct and necessary for the successful implementation of an eligible project (see Project finances in section 4 of this guide for an explanation of eligible and ineligible costs); and

• The project will be substantially completed (see Glossary for definition) no later than September 30, 2031.

* Projects above $100M in total eligible costs will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the CHIF program to discuss your project before submitting an application above $100M in total eligible costs. 

Note: some eligibility requirements differ for Indigenous applicants. Please see the Indigenous Applicant Guide for more information.

2.4 Housing conditions

Zoning for four (4) units as-of-right

Municipalities in the provinces with populations of 30,000 and above (per the 2021 Census of Population)  are required to have implemented zoning for four units as-of-right (4AOR), or be in the process of implementing zoning changes to allow 4AOR, to submit an application. This is required to allow for more “missing middle” housing types (e.g., duplexes and multiplexes).

Applicants will be required to attest that they have implemented 4AOR zoning or are in the process of implementing zoning changes to allow 4AOR and to specify how the municipality has implemented or will implement the zoning change. The Government of Canada expects the zoning change to be implemented by Spring 2025. Projects will not receive funding until applicable zoning requirements are in place.

HICC understands that site-specific constraints mean that blanket 4AOR zoning is not always the most effective approach to achieving the underlying objective of maximizing housing density and supply. In the application, municipalities may identify limited exceptions to the zoning requirement and suggest alternative solutions to meet the objective, however HICC reserves the right to accept or not accept the proposal.

Development Charge freeze

Municipalities and regional governments with a population of 300,000 or more (see Annex B: List of municipalities subject to Development Charge freezes) must have implemented, or be committed to implementing, a three-year freeze on increasing the cost of development charges prior to submitting an application. The fees must be frozen at the rates that were in place on or before April 2, 2024. The Development Charge freeze must be in place for three consecutive years to encourage more cost-effective development of new housing units.

Applicants subject to this condition are expected to meet this condition as written, to be eligible. However, on a case-by-case basis, HICC may take into consideration alternative measures adopted or to be adopted by municipalities to reduce the cost of construction of new homes and encourage developers to build more homes. Alternative measures will need to be clearly detailed in the application, must be quantifiable, and be in place for a three-year period. HICC reserves the right to accept or not accept these measures.

2.5 Federal requirements and reporting

In order to be considered eligible, and as a condition of funding, applicants must attest to their intention to meet applicable federal requirements for their projects. Measures taken to comply with requirements will be validated prior to signing an agreement with HICC or through project reporting (as applicable). The federal requirements that may apply to projects are outlined below. Additional information on these requirements is provided in the Application Form and Step-by-Step Application Instructions, which will be available via HICC's Funding Portal.

Greenhouse gas mitigation

CHIF's greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation approach focuses on areas where the most significant GHG emissions reductions are possible by addressing operational emissions from wastewater treatment infrastructure, supporting solid waste projects with reduced methane emissions, supporting the use of low-carbon construction materials, and reporting on GHG emissions mitigation actions and reductions.

If project assets include mechanical wastewater treatment plants, applicable solid waste projects (including landfills, organic waste processing or thermal treatment) or anaerobic lagoons, the project may be subject to GHG mitigation reporting requirements. Additionally, projects that meet the threshold for low-carbon construction material requirements will need to commit to using low-carbon concrete and reporting on the GHG emissions from ready-mix concrete.

Climate resilience

Climate resilience requirements support federal commitments, including those in the National Adaptation Strategy, to build climate-resilient communities by investing in low-carbon, resilient infrastructure and by reducing risks to the asset and community. Meeting resilience requirements is a two-phased process:

Phase 1 - Climate Hazard Identification and Hazard Treatment Attestation: Completed during the application process, this requires the identification of climate hazards that could have an impact on the asset (based on best available climate data) and an attestation to commit to implementing climate adaptation measures, also referred to as treatment measures, to lessen the effects of the identified risks; and

Phase 2 - Hazard Treatment Reporting: Submitted during reporting for the projects that receive funding, this phase includes reporting details on treatment measures identified during project planning and design for implementing during construction. It also requires the identification of climate design data used to determine appropriate treatment and adaptation measures.

If climate hazards are identified as having the potential to impact a project, applicants are required to attest that they will implement appropriate treatment measures to lessen the impact of these climate risks and use future climate design data, or the best available data to inform their approach. Committing to these measures is a requirement for projects to be considered for funding.

Environmental assessment

Applicants may be required to complete a questionnaire at a later stage of project review to help HICC determine whether the project has federal environmental or impact assessment requirements under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA), modern treaties or northern regulatory regimes. Under the IAA, designated projects may be subject to a federal impact assessment (Section 8) and projects on federal lands may be subject to an environmental effects determination (Section 82). HICC will inform funding recipients of any such requirements. No construction can start, and no funding can flow until environmental assessment requirements are met.

The provinces and territories may also have environmental assessment requirements.

More information is available on HICC's website: Environmental Impact Assessment.

Indigenous consultation

Applicants may be required to complete a questionnaire at a later stage of project review to help HICC determine whether the project requires consultation with Indigenous peoples. The Government of Canada has a duty to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous peoples when it contemplates a decision or activity that might adversely impact Aboriginal or treaty rights. HICC will inform funding recipients of any such requirement. No construction can start, and no funding can flow until Indigenous consultation requirements are met. While the duty to consult rests with the Crown, HICC asks selected applicants to carry out certain procedural aspects of consultation, where appropriate.

More information is available on HICC's website: Consultation with Indigenous Peoples.

Project reporting

Applicants may be required to complete a questionnaire at a later stage of project review to help HICC determine appropriate oversight and monitoring activities.

For successful projects, all funding recipients must report to HICC on the various commitments for data and information throughout the life of the project. The terms of reporting requirements will be set out in project funding agreements. These may include progress reports and a final report that include information on project status, updated financial and risk information and validation of results data.

3. How will my application be assessed?

Under the CHIF direct delivery stream, projects that meet all mandatory eligibility criteria will be further assessed and scored against merit criteria in the following areas:

• Project rationale: Applications that clearly demonstrate how the project aligns with CHIF program objectives and is the most appropriate solution to address the community's housing and infrastructure needs will receive a higher score. 
• Housing needs addressed: Applications are expected to demonstrate that projects will directly enable increased housing supply and will be scored against the following sub-criteria for this section.
  • Housing need: the extent that the project would support communities with a housing need which may be demonstrated by the proportion of the community living in core housing need, the availability of housing supply versus demand, and the number of additional units required to support near-term population growth.
  • Number of housing units enabled: the proportion of additional housing units enabled as part of the project.
  • Project supports known housing development: projects which demonstrate that infrastructure investment will remove barriers and enable a known housing development may be prioritized.
  • Densification: the extent that the project would enable increased density in areas already serviced by municipal infrastructure.
  • Housing affordability: the extent to which the project would enable known affordable housing units.
• Infrastructure needs addressed: Applicants are expected to demonstrate that projects will address the community's infrastructure needs and provide infrastructure services to the community. They will be scored against the following sub-criteria for this section.
  • Infrastructure capacity: extent to which access to, or capacity of, housing-enabling infrastructure is a barrier to enabling increased housing supply or density.
  • Infrastructure benefits: extent to which a project provides an improvement in housing-enabling infrastructure services. This includes improvements in health and safety, such as increasing the level of wastewater treatment or resolving frequent or active drinking water advisories.
• Benefits to environment and community: Projects that support the advancement of federal priorities will receive a higher score. Assessors will consider benefits such as mitigation of GHG emissions, natural infrastructure integration, and addressing the needs of underserved and equity-deserving groups.
• Priority and readiness: Given the direct delivery stream's focus on pressing infrastructure needs, applications that demonstrate a high level of project readiness may be prioritized. Assessors will also consider factors, such as timelines, status of permitting, budget class estimates, and other indicators that the project would be ready to implement in the near future. 

See the application form and Step-by-Step Application Instructions available through the HICC Funding Portal for more information about how the above criteria are assessed.

4. Project finances

4.1 Federal contribution

The maximum federal cost share that CHIF may contribute toward a project is based on recipient type:

• Up to 40% of total eligible expenditures for the following entities in the provinces: municipal or regional governments, public sector bodies, and not-for-profit organizations.
  • Up to 50% of total eligible expenditures for municipal or regional governments with a population of 30,000 and under.
• Up to 75% of total eligible expenditures for the following entities in the territories: municipal or regional governments, public sector bodies, and not-for-profit organizations;
• Up to 100% of total eligible expenditures for Indigenous recipients;
• Up to 25% of total eligible expenditures for private sector for-profit bodies.

Note: These rates may vary depending on the project and other sources of funding.

Contribution stacking limits

Total funding from all levels of government (including municipal, provincial, territorial and federal) cannot exceed 100% of total project costs, and total federal government funding cannot exceed 100% of total eligible project costs under this program.

Applicants are responsible for considering HICC funding program eligibility criteria and funding limits, as project costs cannot be duplicated across multiple programs and the lowest stacking limits of other programs may apply to the project.

4.2 Budgeting for project expenses (eligible and ineligible costs)

The total eligible costs for a project must be between $1 million and $100 million. Projects above $100 million in total eligible costs will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If applicants intend to apply for a project with total eligible costs above $100 million, please email the CHIF team at chif-fcil@infc.gc.ca before submitting an application. 

What costs are eligible?

Eligible costs are those considered by HICC to be direct and necessary for the successful implementation of an eligible project. Eligible expenditures for contribution funding under CHIF's direct delivery stream are as follows:

• costs that are incurred after project approval and before September 30, 2031;
• capital costs, construction costs, design and planning costs, cost for professionals, technical personnel, consultants and contractors specifically engaged for the purpose of the project;
• for natural infrastructure only, land acquisition (see the Step-by-Step Application Instructions in the Funding Portal for more information);
• costs of environmental assessments, monitoring and follow-up activities, as required by the Impact Assessment Act or equivalent legislation;
• costs associated with a public announcement and official ceremony or required temporary or permanent signage that includes the cost of creating and posting signage;
• costs for the purpose of Indigenous consultation or engagement activities;
• other costs that are considered direct and necessary for the successful implementation of the project and that are approved in advance by HICC.

What costs are ineligible?

The following costs are ineligible under CHIF:

• Project costs incurred prior to project approval, except for expenditures associated with meeting federal requirements related to environmental assessments and Indigenous consultation and, where appropriate, accommodation (see section on Environmental assessment and Indigenous engagement and consultation costs below);
• Costs incurred for cancelled projects;
• Costs for leasing land, buildings and other facilities; costs for leasing equipment other than equipment directly related to the construction of the project; real estate fees and related costs;
• Recipient employee and overhead costs, except:
  • those for the purpose of Indigenous consultation and engagement activities; and
  • incremental costs related to the recipient's employees, if approved in writing by Canada
• Costs associated with on-going operating expenses and regularly scheduled maintenance work;
• Financing charges, legal fees, mediation or alternative dispute resolution fees, collateral on mortgage financing, and loan interest payments, including those related to easements (e.g., surveys), except for:
  • legal fees incurred by Indigenous recipients, excluding those related to litigation or to the purchase of real property (land or building).
  • legal fees incurred by Indigenous peoples whose rights may be affected by project activities funded by the program and that are reasonable, as determined by Canada.
  • construction finance costs incurred for public-private partnership projects.
• Any goods and services costs which are received through donations or in kind;
• Provincial sales tax, goods and services tax, and harmonized sales tax for which the recipient is eligible for a rebate, and any other costs eligible for rebates;
• Costs related to furnishings and non-fixed assets, unless approved by Canada
• All capital costs, including site preparation and construction costs, until HICC has confirmed that environmental assessment, other applicable federal environmental legislation and Indigenous consultation and accommodation obligations have been met and continue to be met;
• Land acquisition costs not directly linked to the development of natural infrastructure.

Environmental assessment and Indigenous engagement and consultation costs

If the applicant expects the project to have environmental assessment or Indigenous consultation requirements, or plans to engage with Indigenous peoples, potential related costs must be included in the project budget. Subject to project approval, these costs may be retroactively eligible up to two years prior to project approval, but no earlier than September 10, 2024.

• Environmental assessment costs: Include costs for environmental assessments, monitoring, and follow-up activities as required by the IAA, modern treaties, or northern regulatory regimes. For projects on federal lands, plan for a potential environmental effects determination (Section 82 of the IAA) and include forecasted costs in the project budget.
• Indigenous engagement and consultation costs: Costs may include providing ceremonial offerings, organizing meetings, and distributing project information to Indigenous community members. Costs may also cover funding for Indigenous peoples to participate in activities that involve a review of the project (e.g., costs associated with attending meetings, providing feedback on documents, and conducting separate studies on archaeological, health or socioeconomic interests). The total costs will depend on the number of consultation activities required based on the nature of the project and the number of communities or organizations that need to be consulted. Costs may vary from one region to another. 

Non-competitive procurement

All contracts must be awarded in a way that is fair, transparent, competitive and consistent with value-for-money principles. In addition, when applicable, contracts must be awarded in accordance with the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and international trade agreements (see Annex A: Glossary of terms for the definition of competitive contract).

When non-competitive contracts are necessary for the implementation of a project, and they are above the specified thresholds, HICC's approval of the contract as an eligible expenditure is required for the expense to be considered eligible, and therefore payable, under CHIF.

No additional approval is required for non-competitive contracts that have an estimated value below $40,000 for construction or goods contracts, or $100,000 for service contracts.

The Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities may approve funding for CHIF projects involving non-competitive contracts that:

• are for less than $500,000; or
• are with a public sector entity; or
• can only be performed by one person or entity; or
• are with an Indigenous recipient; or
• are with an Indigenous organization or governing body and there is a benefit to an Indigenous community; or
• addresses a state of emergency that has been declared.

For applicants seeking a non-competitive procurement process outside of the Minister's delegation, HICC will need to seek approval from the Treasury Board of Canada. Obtaining Treasury Board approval may take several months and will require a strong rationale for the non-competitive procurement process, as well as more complex and in-depth information requirements.

5. Additional information

5.1 Supporting documents

Applicants may be required to submit additional documents to support their application:

• A Keyhole Markup Language (KML) file showing the location of proposed project activities is required with every application. Instructions on how to create a KML file are included in the Step-by-Step Application Instructions available through the HICC Funding Portal.
• Letters of support may also be required under certain circumstances, such as to confirm an eligible partner's role in the project.
• While not required, other documents may be included to support an application. Examples include a housing needs assessment to substantiate a community's housing need or an engineering report that confirms the project as the best option to meet the infrastructure need.

Note: HICC reserves the right to contact applicants to request additional documents and information that are required to support assessment of the application.

5.2 For more information

The Step-by-Step Application Instructions is a companion guide intended to support applicants with completing an application. It provides section-by-section guidance for answering questions in the application form. This guide is available on the HICC Funding portal.

Applicants are encouraged to consult the CHIF webpage for up-to-date information, including Frequently Asked Questions and information on how to register to attend an upcoming webinar.

If applicants still have questions about the program after consulting these resources, please send an email to the CHIF direct delivery team
at chif-fcil@infc.gc.ca.

Annex A: Glossary of terms

A.1 Acronyms

ATRIS – Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Information System

CHIF – Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund

GHG – Greenhouse Gases

HICC – Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

IAA – Impact Assessment Act

KML – Keyhole Markup Language

A.2 Definitions

Affordable housing: For the purposes of CHIF, affordable housing refers to a dwelling unit where the cost of shelter, including rent and utilities, is a maximum of 30% of before-tax household income; where the household income is defined as 80% or less of the Area Median Household Income (AMHI) for the metropolitan area or rural region of the recipient.

Asset: Physical infrastructure that is necessary to support and deliver public services. This may also include natural infrastructure.

Competitive contract: A contract awarded in connection with the solicitation of bids, that is, a) giving public notice of a call for bids on a contract, or b) inviting bids on a proposed contract from specific suppliers (two or more) on a supplier's list. If a solicitation of bids results in a single bid and the contract is with the lone bidder, then it is deemed to be a competitive contract. Inversely, if there was no solicitation of bids, it is considered a non-competitive contract.

Pre-existing, multi-year contracts or standing offers may be considered competitive if all apply:

• The original contract was tendered through the solicitation of bids
• The contract contains an option to increase the length or expand the scope of the project, and
• The contract option was signed after federal project funding approval was confirmed in writing

Core housing need: A household is considered to be in core housing need if it meets the following two criteria:

• A household is below one or more of the adequacy, suitability and housing affordability standards.
• Adequacy –  Housing is considered adequate when it isn’t in need of major repairs. Major repairs include defective plumbing or electrical wiring, or structural repairs to walls, floors, or ceilings.
• Suitability –  Housing is considered suitable when there are enough bedrooms for the size and make-up of resident households. This is according to National Occupancy Standard (NOS) requirements.
• Housing affordability –  Housing is considered to be affordable when housing costs less than 30% of before-tax household income.
• The household would have to spend 30% or more of its before-tax household income to access local housing that meets all three standards.

Equity-deserving group: A group of people who, because of historical or systemic discrimination, face barriers that prevent them from having the same access to resources and opportunities that are available to other members of society, and that are necessary for them to attain just socioeconomic outcomes. In Canada, this is generally considered to include women, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, people who are part of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, religious minority groups and racialized people. The types of equity-deserving groups may vary based on factors such as geography, sociocultural context or the presence of specific subpopulations.

Expansion: The process of increasing the capacity, size, scope, or reach of an existing infrastructure project, system, or network to accommodate growing demands, population growth, or evolving needs. It encompasses activities such as building new infrastructure components, extending existing networks, and implementing scalable solutions to meet the evolving provincial and federal requirements.

Four (4) units as-of-right: A term that relates to allowing more housing options by adopting municipal zoning that allows four units as-of-right. Four-units-as-of-right zoning allows for more “missing middle” homes, including duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and other multi-unit apartment blocks.

Housing need assessment: A report informed by data and research that describes the current and future housing needs of a municipality or community (see the Housing Needs Assessments website for more information). It includes both:

• Quantitative research, such as analysis of economic data, population and household forecasts
• Qualitative research, such as interviews, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement

Known housing development: A housing development application that has been initiated but is stuck in the planning process because current system capacity is a barrier to moving the development forward to the next stage.

Natural infrastructure: An interconnected set of natural and constructed ecological systems, green spaces, and other landscape features that deliver ecosystem services, as well as hybrid/grey-green infrastructure which combines engineered and natural features to mimic ecosystem services. For example, naturalized stormwater management ponds; wetlands; restored flood plains; rain gardens; permeable land cover; infiltration basins; etc.

New construction: Construction of entirely new capital assets.

Racialized groups or communities: A group of people categorized according to ethnic or racial characteristics and subjected to discrimination on that basis.

Rehabilitation: Any work undertaken on an existing asset that will encourage its continued use. The work on the existing asset ultimately must extend the life or improve the quality, functionality or safety of the asset.

Rural: For the purposes of CHIF, the definition of a “rural” community is a community with a population of 30,000 or less, regardless of its geographic location.

Substantially complete: Substantially complete means that the project infrastructure can be used for its intended purpose (as described in the agreement between HICC and the funding recipient).

Underserved communities: Refers to communities that received subpar services in many aspects, including in infrastructure and the built environment. They face barriers to and challenges in accessing and using resources due to geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, race and ethnicity. Underserved populations usually encounter unique challenges (such as language, geographical and cultural barriers, physical or cognitive ability, etc.).

Waste: refers to any material, non-hazardous or hazardous, that has no further use, and is managed at recycling, processing, or disposal sites.

Annex B: List of municipalities subject to Development Charge freezes

Listed below are regions and municipalities with a population of 300,000 or more as of 2021 census data, that are required to implement a development charge freeze. Municipalities with a population of less than 300,000 located within regions with a population of 300,000 or greater are required to abide by the freeze at the regional level but are not required to freeze their local development charges. If a region that is required to implement the development charge freeze does not implement a freeze, then the municipalities within that region will be ineligible to apply for funding under the direct delivery stream.

Alberta

Region(s)	Municipality(s)
Not Applicable	Edmonton Calgary

British Columbia

Region(s)	Municipality(s)
Metro Vancouver Region Capital Regional District Fraser Valley Regional District	Vancouver * Surrey*

 *Note: Municipalities identified by an asterisk are municipalities with a population of 300,000 or greater that are also located in regions with a population of 300,000 or greater. For a municipality to be eligible to submit project applications, both the municipality and the region in which it is located are required to freeze their development charges. For example, for Surrey to be eligible to submit a project application, both Surrey and Metro Vancouver Region are required to freeze their development charges.

Manitoba

Region(s)	Municipality(s)
Not Applicable	Winnipeg

Nova Scotia

Region(s)	Municipality(s)
Not Applicable	Halifax Regional Municipality*

*Note: Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is considered a “municipality” for the purposes of this condition since the communities that comprise the HRM do not levy their own development charges.

Ontario

Region(s)	Municipality(s)
Durham Region Peel Region Halton Region Waterloo Region Niagara Region York Region Simcoe County	Toronto Ottawa Hamilton  London Markham* Vaughan* Mississauga* Brampton*

*Note: Municipalities identified by an asterisk are municipalities with a population of 300,000 or greater that are also located in regions with a population of 300,000 or greater. For a municipality to be eligible to submit project applications, both the municipality and the region in which it is located are required to freeze their development charges. For example, for Markham to be eligible to submit a project application, both Markham and York Region are required to freeze their development charges.

Quebec

Region(s)	Municipality(s)
Not Applicable	Montreal Quebec City Laval

The following provinces do not have any regions or municipalities with a population of 300,000 or above that are required to implement the three-year freeze on development charges. Municipalities in territories are not required to implement this condition.

• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Saskatchewan

Annex C: Privacy and confidentiality

The information provided by applicants in their applications or in any other form will be used by the Government of Canada for 1) review, evaluation and selection of applications under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (which is administered and managed by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada) or 2) for confirming past federal funding sought by applicants.

Federal government institutions are bound by the requirements of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, as well as the Library and Archives Canada Act. These laws apply to the use, disclosure and retention of information (such as personal, confidential or other) under the control of federal government institutions.

Applicants should note that Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada may consult and share the information provided in applications with other federal government institutions or other organizations for the purpose of assisting the department with project reviews and evaluations, determining eligibility under other federal government programs, and confirming past federal funding sought by an applicant. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada may also use and disclose the information to external experts (e.g., scientific, technical, financial, marketing, or commercialization), hired by the Government of Canada under contract with confidentiality obligations, for the purpose of assisting the department with project reviews and evaluations or determining eligibility under other federal government programs.

In submitting an application, applicants are consenting to such uses, sharing and disclosures of the information for the purposes described above. Applicants are invited to clearly identify in their application the provision of any information that contains trade secrets, is confidential or that if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to result in material financial loss or gain to, or to prejudice the competitive position of, a third party, or, to interfere with contractual or other negotiations of a third party, as outlined in section 20 of the Access to Information Act. Once a funding agreement is signed, the name of the successful applicant, location, date of approval, the funding amount, and the project description may be proactively disclosed to the public.