Main estimates
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1. 2025-26 Main estimates
Issue / question
What is the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio seeking in the Main Estimates 2025-26?
Suggested response
- The Housing, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio is seeking just over $16 billion in funding.
- This represents a net increase of $1 billion, driven by new programs announced in Budget 2024 like the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, created to accelerate the construction and upgrading of essential infrastructure to support housing development.
- It also supports the ongoing delivery and increased funding for housing and public transit programs, as well as major infrastructure projects, and green, rural and northern infrastructure across the country.
Key point
Over 96% of the portfolio's funding is allocated to HICC and CMHC who deliver transfer payment programs through multiple recipients across the country.
Background
- The Main Estimates process is the means to access funding for the upcoming fiscal year for initiatives approved up to March 2025, to support the Government of Canada's priorities. It identifies the spending authorities (votes) and the amounts to be included in subsequent appropriation bills that Parliament will be asked to approve to enable the government to proceed with its spending plans.
- The 2025-26 Main Estimates would result in a net increase of $1 billion for the portfolio compared to the previous year. The increase is explained as follows:
- Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's (HICC) proposed Main Estimates represent an increase of $879.1 million when compared to the previous year, primarily related to:
- Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (increase of $1 billion);
- Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy (increase of $193.7 million);
- Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (increase of $94.2 million); and
- Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program (increase of $84.5 million).
- These increases are offset by the winding down of legacy programs as they near the end of their lifecycle.
- In addition, Capital funding increased by $34.4 million mainly related to a contingent liability on land acquisition for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project.
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is seeking an increase of $740 million primarily related to:
- Affordable Housing Fund (increase of $309.1 million);
- Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy (increase of $248.1 million); and
- Housing Accelerator Fund (increase of $101.5 million).
- The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) is seeking an increase of $33.4 million primarily related to:
- The acquisition of the Québec Bridge structure and the start of reconfiguration work on the Bonaventure Expressway, offset mainly by the original Champlain Bridge deconstruction project nearing completion and the deconstruction of the Île des Sœurs Bypass Bridge.
- Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) Main Estimates represent a decrease of $608.6 million primarily related to:
- The design-build phase of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project approaching substantial completion and entering the operations and maintenance phase.
- To ensure that departments have sufficient spending authority until such time as the Main Estimates receive Royal Assent, under the normal process the standard interim supply of three twelfths is provided for the first quarter of the year. With the government calling an election on March 23, 2025, Governor General Special Warrants (GGSW) have been issued to departments on the basis of the interim supply requirements identified by the portfolio.
- The Housing, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio accessed $2.8 billion through the GGSW certificates, covering the period of April 1, 2025 to June 29, 2025 as follows:
- CMHC has accessed $1.6 billion;
- HICC has accessed $991.8 million;
- WDBA has accessed $121.9 million, which represents approximately four twelfths, for amounts related to non-negotiable legal obligations and commitments for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project;
- JCCBI has accessed $62.6 million.
a. Page proofs & variance table
2025-26 Main estimates - Detailed program listing
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) - Vote 10 and statutory
| Program name | 2024-25 Main estimates | 2025-26 Main estimates |
Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grants | |||
| Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy | 10,608,854 | 18,383,795 | 7,774,941 |
| Natural Infrastructure Fund Grants | 10,000,000 | - | (10,000,000) |
| Active Transportation Grants | 4,373,255 | 1,050,000 | (3,323,255) |
| Rural Transit Solutions Grants | 2,985,865 | 2,000,000 | (985,865) |
| Short Term Rental Enforcement Fund | - | 15,731,422 | 15,731,422 |
| Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund | - | 196,774 | 196,774 |
| Green and Inclusive Community Building Grant | - | - | - |
| Total Grants | 27,967,974 | 37,361,991 | 9,394,017 |
| Contributions | |||
| Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program | 1,711,134,493 | 2,750,966,334 | 1,039,831,841 |
| Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) | - | 93,999,064 | 93,999,064 |
| New Building Canada Fund – Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – National and Regional Projects | 1,322,290,746 | 787,336,918 | (534,953,828) |
| Canada Public Transit Fund (formerly Permanent Public Transit Program) | 842,647,287 | 610,332,295 | (232,314,992) |
| Contributions to not-for-profit organizations, individuals, municipal governments, Band/tribal councils and other Indigenous organizations, public health and educational institutions, Régies régionales, for-profit enterprises, research organizations and research institutes to support activities to help alleviate and prevent homelessness across Canada and to carry out research on homelessness to help communities better understand and more effectively address homelessness issues | 503,180,438 | 689,067,761 | 185,887,323 |
| Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund | 348,666,741 | 440,174,117 | 91,507,376 |
| Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program | 318,922,228 | 403,380,580 | 84,458,352 |
| New Building Canada Fund – National Infrastructure Component | 214,433,594 | 89,289,516 | (125,144,078) |
| Contributions under the Building Canada Fund Major Infrastructure Component | 83,118,698 | 39,653,399 | (43,465,299) |
| Natural Infrastructure Fund | 71,590,612 | - | (71,590,612) |
| New Building Canada Fund – Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – Small Communities Fund | 26,215,300 | 63,854,849 | 37,639,549 |
| Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative (TWRI) | 19,208,333 | - | (19,208,333) |
| Veteran Homelessness Program | 16,581,895 | 20,860,487 | 4,278,592 |
| Contributions under the Building Canada Fund Communities Component | 10,481,729 | 15,662,272 | 5,180,543 |
| Supporting Climate Resilient Infrastructure Initiative | 7,347,755 | 16,759,646 | 9,411,891 |
| Research and Knowledge Initiative | 5,372,234 | 6,000,000 | 627,766 |
| Contributions under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund | 4,200,000 | 2,750,000 | (1,450,000) |
| Contributions under the Smart Cities Challenge | 3,041,566 | 7,020,000 | 3,978,434 |
| Contributions under the Green Infrastructure Fund | 2,122,515 | 23,614,936 | 21,492,421 |
| Canada Healthy Communities Initiative | 1,200,000 | - | (1,200,000) |
| Public Transit Infrastructure Fund | 1,000,000 | 77,982,518 | 76,982,518 |
| Clean Water and Wastewater Fund | 500,000 | 19,235,244 | 18,735,244 |
| Asset Management Fund | - | - | - |
| Payments for commitments of P3 Canada Fund of PPP Canada | - | - | - |
| Contributions under the Border Infrastructure Fund | - | 351,000 | 351,000 |
| Total Contributions | 5,513,256,164 | 6,158,290,936 | 645,034,772 |
| Total Grants and Contributions | 5,541,224,138 | 6,195,652,927 | 654,428,789 |
| Statutory program funding | |||
| Canada Community Building Fund | 2,368,157,557 | 2,466,830,789 | 98,673,232 |
| Total grants and contributions with statutory program funding | 7,909,381,695 | 8,662,483,716 | 753,102,021 |
*Transfer from CHIF to TWRI ($525M) is not part of the main estimates, will be reflected in a future estimates process.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) - Vote 1 and statutory
| Program name | 2024-25 Main estimates | 2025-26 Main estimates |
Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordable Housing Fund | 1,139,673,074 | 1,448,770,925 | 309,097,851 |
| Housing Accelerator Fund | 1,014,731,875 | 1,116,233,414 | 101,501,539 |
| Legacy Programs | 1,132,142,925 | 978,878,589 | (153,264,336) |
| Federal, Provincial, Territorial housing agreements | 725,400,000 | 823,860,421 | 98,460,421 |
| Canada Housing Benefit | 311,280,368 | 428,912,058 | 117,631,690 |
| Apartment Construction Loan Program | 322,174,988 | 361,962,854 | 39,787,866 |
| Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy | - | 248,109,346 | 248,109,346 |
| Shelters Initiative for Indigenous Women and Children | 151,600,000 | 203,436,810 | 51,836,810 |
| Canada Greener Affordable Housing program | 239,700,000 | 171,656,747 | (68,043,253) |
| Canada Greener Homes Loan | 134,107,762 | 159,724,912 | 25,617,150 |
| CO-OP Housing Development Program | - | 95,034,777 | 95,034,777 |
| Federal Community Housing Initiative (B2017 and B2021) | 83,645,529 | 92,790,002 | 9,144,473 |
| Affordable Housing Innovation Fund | 91,800,000 | 71,800,000 | (20,000,000) |
| Federal Lands Initiative | 20,000,000 | 57,927,166 | 37,927,166 |
| The First Time Home Buyer Incentive | 47,683,197 | 27,313,814 | (20,369,383) |
| Research & Data | 28,945,000 | 23,559,271 | (5,385,729) |
| Innovation Fund - Rent to Own | - | - | - |
| Secondary Suites | - | 16,910,942 | 16,910,942 |
| Rapid Housing Initiative | 44,460,278 | 14,041,706 | (30,418,572) |
| Residential Flood Insurance | 15,874,564 | 9,600,000 | (6,274,564) |
| Technical Resource Centre and Sector Transformation Fund | 8,400,000 | 5,400,000 | (3,000,000) |
| Youth Employment and Skills Strategy | 3,695,000 | 3,695,000 | - |
| Modernize Housing Data | - | 2,648,300 | 2,648,300 |
| Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance | 3,000,000 | 1,000,000 | (2,000,000) |
| Shared Equity Mortgage Providers Fund | 2,611,210 | 402,861 | (2,208,349) |
| Human Rights-Based Approach to Housing | 3,491,000 | 234,167 | (3,256,833) |
| One time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit (OTP) | 7,500,000 | 3,800,000 | (3,700,000) |
| Housing Supply Challenge | 119,338,535 | - | (119,338,535) |
| Emergency Shelter for Women and Girls | 10,100,000 | - | (10,100,000) |
| Adjustment | 35,964 | - | (35,964) |
| Refocusing Government Spending | (33,682,937) | - | 33,682,937 |
| Total | 5,627,708,332 | 6,367,704,082 | 739,995,750 |
2025-26 Main estimates – Page proofs
Raison d’être
- Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
- Office of Infrastructure of Canada
- Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
- The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
Organizational estimates
- Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
- Office of Infrastructure of Canada
- Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
- The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
Main estimates by purpose
- Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
- Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
- The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
Listing of transfer payments
Listing of statutory authorities
Items for inclusion in the proposed Schedule 1 to the Appropriation Bill
- Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
- Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
- The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
Budgetary expenditures by standard object
- Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
- Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
- The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
Statutory forecasts
- Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
- Office of Infrastructure of Canada
Expenditures by purpose
- Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
- Office of Infrastructure of Canada
- Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
- The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
Interim supply requirements
- Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Interim Supply Requirements - Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Vote No. Vote wording and explanation(s) of Additional Twelfths Total Main estimates Amount granted 1 – Payments to reimburse the Corporation for the amounts of loans forgiven, grants, contributions and expenditures made, and losses, costs and expenses incurred,
(a) under the National Housing Act; or
(b) in the course of the exercise of powers or the carrying out of duties or functions conferred on the Corporation under any other Act of Parliament, in accordance with the Corporation’s authority under the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation ActNo additional twelfths beyond the normal three-twelfths
6,363,904,082 1,590,976,021 - [redacted]
- [redacted]
Governor General special warrants
Detail by organization: Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Detail by organization: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Detail by organization: Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
Detail by organization: The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
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