CMHC Seed Funding

The successful development of housing requires appropriate skills, expertise and commitment. Proponents need to be organized, and must know how to evaluate housing need and demand in their community, and how to obtain the money and other resources to make their proposed housing project a reality. CMHC Seed Funding provides proponents with financial assistance to carry out these initial activities.

Sponsoring agency: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
Type of agency: Federal government

Program offerings

The maximum amount of Seed Funding is $20,000 per housing project proposal to carry out eligible activities.
  • Up to $10,000 for a given housing project proposal is in the form of a grant, with no repayment required.
  • An additional amount — up to $10,000 — may be made available in the form of an interest-free loan, which is repayable if the housing project proceeds.
  • If the proposal does not result in the production of housing, the repayable portion of the Seed Funding may be forgiven by CMHC.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Seed Funding, your proposed housing project must be affordable

You intend to produce a rental housing project in which most of the units will have rents within CMHC’s Affordability Criteria. (CMHC can provide you with the Affordability Criteria in the community where you intend to produce housing that meet this guideline.)

OR

You intend to produce a homeowner project in which the units will be modest and the purchase prices will be below the market for units of a similar type, size and number of bedrooms in the subject housing market.


Application procedure

Download the Application form Package for Housing Development.

Contact information

Website: CMHC Seed Funding Program Details