Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund

On this page

• About the Canadian Housing Infrastructure Fund
• Housing conditions
• Funding streams
  • Direct Delivery stream
  • PT Agreement stream
• Application process: Choosing the appropriate stream
• How to apply
• Frequently asked questions
• Contact us

About the Canadian Housing Infrastructure Fund

Increasing housing supply and accommodating community growth requires adequate water and solid waste infrastructure to continue delivering essential services to people living in Canada.

On April 16, 2024, the Government of Canada released Budget 2024 which provided $6 billion in federal funding over 10 years to establish the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF).

CHIF aims to accelerate the construction and upgrading of housing-enabling drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste infrastructure, directly supporting the creation of new homes and increasing densification. This investment is part of the Government of Canada's commitment to address the impacts of the housing crisis on communities of all sizes across Canada.

Housing conditions

As a housing-enabling program, CHIF requires provincial, territorial and municipal applicants to meet certain conditions that will improve the supply, densification and affordability of housing in Canadian communities. Some, or all of these conditions apply depending on applicant type, community size and location. More information on these conditions and their applicability is available on the individual funding stream pages.

Funding streams

The CHIF program is delivered through two funding streams:

Application process: Choosing the appropriate stream

Eligible applicants can apply to either stream, or both streams, depending on their infrastructure needs. However, applicants cannot receive funding from both streams for the same project. 

CHIF's Direct Delivery stream is intended for projects with a high level of readiness, as projects must be substantially completed by September 2031. This stream is meant to support pressing infrastructure needs in communities to increase housing development. Projects under the Direct Delivery stream should be between $1 million and $100 million in total eligible costs. To apply, municipalities subject to housing conditions must have already met the housing conditions set out by CHIF, or committed to meeting them.

CHIF's Provincial and Territorial (PT) Agreement stream is intended for projects in their respective province or territory. Under this stream, provinces will be required to contribute a minimum of 33% of eligible expenditures to each project where the Ultimate Recipient is a municipality or regional government.

Applicants seeking support for long-term infrastructure projects that enable housing are encouraged to apply under the PT Agreement stream.

Eligible projects

Under CHIF, eligible projects include planning or capital projects that would plan, build or upgrade drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, or solid waste infrastructure to enable more housing.

How to apply

Select the respective stream page for more information on each stream, including details on how to apply.

Direct Delivery stream

Applicants with pressing infrastructure needs (where infrastructure is a barrier to increasing housing supply) are encouraged to apply under the Direct Delivery stream.

Provincial and Territorial Agreement stream

The PT agreement stream is delivered through bilateral agreements between Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada and each of the provinces and territories, who are responsible for project intake in their jurisdiction. To receive funding through this stream, projects must be prioritized by the province or territory. The PT Program Guide can be obtained through the province or territory; provincial and territorial contacts can be found on their respective PT page.

Frequently asked questions

Application process

• What is the difference between the two Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) funding streams?

  Budget 2024 created the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) to invest in effective and reliable drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste infrastructure to unlock more housing, faster.

  The Direct Delivery stream has an envelope of $1 billion administered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC). This funding is available directly to municipalities, Indigenous communities, and other eligible recipients to support pressing infrastructure needs that will directly enable housing supply.

  The Provincial and Territorial Agreement stream has an envelope of $5 billion, which will be provided to the provinces and territories via agreements to support long-term priorities. The respective allocations under this envelope will be administered by the provinces and territories themselves. Under the Provincial and Territorial Agreement stream, the provinces and territories will be responsible for identifying, prioritizing and submitting projects to HICC for consideration.

  Projects receiving funding under one stream are not eligible to receive funding from the other stream.

• How does an organization apply for CHIF Direct Delivery stream funding?

  Applications to the Direct Delivery stream are made on the HICC Funding Portal. Eligible applicants wanting to submit a project should read the Applicant guide to ensure that their project is eligible. It is the responsibility of applicants to demonstrate how their projects meet the CHIF's project eligibility and merit criteria.

• How does an organization apply for CHIF PT Agreement stream funding?

  To apply to the PT agreement stream, proponents may apply directly to their province or territory responsible for administering CHIF. Provincial and territorial contacts can be found on the respective PT page.

• Is there a limit to the number of applications that an organization can submit?

  No. There is no limit to the number of applications that an applicant can submit. However, to be eligible, a project needs to be able to achieve its intended outcomes on its own, independently of any other project.

• What types of information or data must be included in an application?

  Applications must include data that support project eligibility and, under the Direct Delivery stream, merit criteria. These criteria include, but are not limited to, number of housing units enabled by the project, pressing nature of the need for housing and its enabling infrastructure, densification, and ability to advance other national priorities (e.g., climate-change mitigation, resilience, etc.). For more information, please consult the Direct Delivery Applicant guide or PT Stream Program Guide.

• Does an organization have to apply using the HICC Funding Portal or can it submit a proposal using another method (e.g., Canada Post, email, etc.)?

  Under the Direct Delivery stream, HICC will only accept applications submitted via the HICC Funding Portal. For any applicants facing a challenge with that approach, please contact the CHIF team at chif-fcil@infc.gc.ca to discuss options.

  To apply to the PT agreement stream, proponents may apply directly through their province or territory responsible for administering CHIF. Details are available on each PT page.  

Project eligibility

• What types of projects does CHIF fund?

  CHIF will fund either capital or planning projects aimed at building new, or expanding or rehabilitating existing, drinking water, wastewater, stormwater or solid waste infrastructure in order to enable more housing.

• Are projects that use natural infrastructure eligible under CHIF?

  Yes. Natural infrastructure projects that increase capacity of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, or solid waste systems could also be eligible for funding. For example, the following components would be eligible: naturalized stormwater retention ponds, vegetated swales, or urban parks and wetlands that can manage stormwater and improve water quality by filtering harmful pollutants.

• Does CHIF support projects whose focus is on operating and maintaining existing water-related infrastructure?

  No. Costs associated with ongoing operating expenses and regularly scheduled maintenance are not eligible under CHIF.

• Will funding recipients be required to implement environmental requirements related to climate change?

  Yes. CHIF climate requirements will help Canadian communities become more resilient to future climate conditions and support Canada's emissions reduction commitments. For more information on the climate requirements of the CHIF program, applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the How-To-Guide: Implementing Climate Requirements . This guidance will provide detailed information on how to implement the CHIF climate requirements for both the Direct Delivery and PT Agreement streams, and where to find supporting documents like Guides and Templates.

  For more information, contact the Climate Help Desk by: (i) webform; (ii) email: Climate-Infra-Climat@infc.gc.ca; or (iii) toll-free telephone: 1-833-834-0243.

• Are “Community Employment Benefits” a requirement under CHIF?

  No. Community employment benefits are not a requirement under CHIF.

• Are “planning projects” eligible under the Program?

  Yes. Planning projects are eligible if the planning is for a capital project that would otherwise be eligible under CHIF. Planning costs for eligible planning projects may include feasibility studies, housing needs assessments, risk assessments, climate assessments, engineering reports, environmental impact assessments, as well as other planning work needed to advance a future capital project that would align with CHIF objectives.

• Is the acquisition of land eligible under CHIF?

  Land acquisition can be an eligible expense under CHIF, but only if it is for the development of natural infrastructure.

  For land acquisition expenses to be eligible, the land must be privately owned and not the sole component of the project. Applicants must also demonstrate the need to acquire the land as an integral part of the project for the purposes of natural infrastructure.

  Note: Funding recipients will have to demonstrate 1) that the land will remain protected for 40 years after the project is substantially completed, and 2) that the purchase price is at or below fair market value.

• When is the deadline for projects to be completed?

  Under the Direct Delivery stream, projects must be substantially completed by September 2031, while under the PT Agreement stream, projects must be substantially completed by September 2033. “Substantially completed” means that the project infrastructure can be used for its intended purpose (i.e., as described in the contribution agreement between the Government of Canada and the funding recipient).

Housing conditions

• What is meant by “enabling housing”?

  Under CHIF, "enabling housing" refers to increasing the capacity of communities to build more housing—by investing in the infrastructure needed to provide reliable drinking water, as well as to treat wastewater, stormwater and solid waste.

  For example, if development in an area of a city is currently limited to 200 units because of capacity constraints of the existing wastewater system, upgrading that wastewater system, with CHIF funds to a system that can process wastewater for 500 units, then that project would “enable” the development of an additional 300 units.

• Are projects required to build new houses?

  Eligible CHIF projects either plan for or construct housing-enabling infrastructure. Eligible categories include drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste infrastructure. Projects are required to demonstrate that they will enable more housing to be built. CHIF has been created to accelerate the construction and upgrading of essential infrastructure to support housing development, but it will not provide funding for the actual construction of housing units.

• How many housing units need to be enabled to be able to apply for CHIF funding?

  There is no set number of new housing units that must be enabled by a CHIF-funded project. However, applications under both streams are expected to demonstrate that projects will directly enable increased housing supply.

  Under the Direct Delivery stream, projects will be assessed on how well they support answering the housing needs of the community. For more information on how housing criteria factor in the assessment, please consult the ‘How will my application be assessed' section of the Direct Delivery Applicant guide.

• Do the housing conditions apply under the Direct Delivery stream?

  Yes, housing conditions apply under both streams.

  Under the Direct Delivery stream, there are two housing conditions that must be implemented for a community to receive funding. Communities with a population greater than 30,000 and situated in one of the provinces, must implement zoning changes to allow for four units as-of-right. Municipalities and regions with a population greater than 300,000 must also freeze Development Charges for three years at the rates that were in place on or before April 2, 2024. See the ‘Housing conditions' section of the Applicant guide for more information.

Funding

• How much CHIF funding can a recipient receive?

  Under the Direct Delivery stream, the maximum total eligible cost for a given project should not exceed $100 million. However, there is no limit to the number of projects that can be submitted by an applicant. Projects above $100 million in total eligible costs will only be considered on a case-by-case basis, so please contact the CHIF team at chif-fcil@infc.gc.ca to discuss the project before submitting an application. For more information on federal cost sharing, please consult the ‘Project finances' section of the Applicant guide.

  Under the Provincial and Territorial Agreement stream, there is no maximum to the total eligible cost for a project; subject to the remaining available funds.

• Is there a minimum total eligible cost for projects under CHIF?

  Under the Direct Delivery stream, the minimum total eligible cost for capital projects should be at least $1 million. The $1 million threshold does not apply to planning projects or Indigenous-led projects.

  The PT agreement stream is intended to fund projects larger than $1 million, however, smaller projects will also be considered. For more information on eligible costs, please consult the ‘Budgeting for project expenses' section of the Direct Delivery Applicant guide or PT Stream Program Guide.

• How is the project's federal contribution determined?

  Funding amounts are subject to cost sharing and stacking limits, as well as other sources of funding available to the recipient. See the ‘Federal contribution' section of the Direct Delivery Applicant guide or PT Stream Program Guide for more information.

• Is CHIF funding stackable with other funding sources (e.g., federal, provincial and municipal)?

  Yes. CHIF funding is stackable with other funding sources. However, 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.

  While total federal funding may cover up to 100% of total eligible project costs, the maximum HICC funding is subject to the program cost-share limits. Applicants are responsible for considering the eligibility criteria and funding limits from all HICC (and other) funding programs, as project costs cannot be duplicated across multiple programs and the lowest stacking limits of other programs may apply to the project.

  Further, a project cannot receive funding from both CHIF streams. For example, a Direct Delivery project funded at 40% cannot be “topped up” by funding under the PT agreement stream, and vice versa. 

Project selection and approval

• When can applicants expect to find out if their projects have been chosen to receive funding?

  Under the Direct Delivery stream, applicants will be informed of the results of their respective applications once funding decisions are available. The CHIF team will be available to provide feedback should an applicant request it. 

  Under the PT Agreement stream, PTs will notify applicants if their projects have been approved.

  HICC cannot provide precise timelines as to when applicants will be informed of funding decisions.

• When can successful applicants begin incurring costs?

  Most eligible project expenditures will only be reimbursed if they are incurred after the project has been approved. There are some exceptions –  please consult the ‘Budgeting for project expenses' section of the Direct Delivery Applicant guide or PT Stream Program Guide to learn more.

• Will successful applicants receive funding as soon as their project is approved?

  Successful applicants will be eligible to receive funding once funding agreements (i.e., contribution agreements) are in place (i.e., signed by both parties) and, where applicable, all funding conditions including environmental assessment requirements and Indigenous consultation obligations have been met and continue to be met. Eligible expenses will be reimbursed by Canada upon the submission of claims.

Contact us

For questions about the Direct Delivery stream that cannot be answered by reading the Applicant guide or the FAQs, please contact: chif-fcil@infc.gc.ca.

Questions about the Provincial and Territorial Agreement stream should be directed to the provincial or territorial department contact responsible for delivering CHIF (see respective PT page).