Housing and real estate programs for individuals and families

Ranked programs

11 open, ongoing or intake-based programs, best score first.

1. Home Buyers' Plan (HBP)

   Canada Revenue Agency

   Lets first-time buyers withdraw from their RRSPs to buy or build a qualifying home without tax on the withdrawal, repaying it over time. It can be combined with a first...

   OngoingFederalOther incentivesLimit $60K
   53

   Top pick

2. First-Time Home Buyers' GST/HST Rebate

   Canada Revenue Agency

   Rebate of the federal GST/HST on a newly built or substantially renovated first home. Ontario adds a provincial first-time buyer HST rebate.

   OpenFederalOther incentives
   46

   Strong

3. First Home Savings Account (FHSA)

   Canada Revenue Agency

   A registered plan that lets first-time home buyers save for a qualifying first home tax-free, with deductible contributions.

   OngoingFederalOther incentivesLimit $8K
   45

   Strong

4. Home Winterproofing Program

   Enbridge Gas (delivered together with the Energy Affordability Program)

   Enbridge Gas offers eligible lower-income households free energy-saving home upgrades such as insulation and draft proofing. Participants get a home energy assessment...

   OngoingOntarioOther incentives
   45

   Strong

5. Home Accessibility Tax Credit (HATC)

   Canada Revenue Agency

   A non-refundable federal tax credit that helps homeowners cover the cost of renovations that make a home more accessible and safer for seniors and people eligible for...

   OngoingFederalOther incentivesLimit $20K
   44

   Strong

6. Home Renovation Savings Program (Save on Energy / Enbridge Gas)

   IESO (Save on Energy) and Enbridge Gas, supported by the Government of Ontario

   Rebates for home energy upgrades such as insulation, air sealing, windows and doors, heat pumps, smart thermostats, solar and storage, and efficient appliances...

   OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $12K
   44

   Strong

7. Land Transfer Tax Refund for First-Time Homebuyers

   Ministry of Finance

   Refund of Ontario land transfer tax for first-time homebuyers; no tax is payable on the first $368,000 of consideration for eligible homes and the maximum refund is...

   OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $4K
   36

   Worth a look

8. Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP)

   Natural Resources Canada (transitioning to Environment and Climate Change Canada); delivered through provincial and territorial programs

   Provides low-to-median-income homeowners and tenants with no-cost home retrofits such as insulation and heat pumps. Selected organizations deliver the work directly, so...

   OngoingFederalOther incentives
   33

   Worth a look

9. London Additional Residential Unit (ARU) Loan

   City of London

   Loan helping owner-occupying homeowners in London pay for creating an additional residential unit on their property.

   OngoingOntarioLoansLoans up to $45K
   29

   Worth a look

10. Kitchener Designated Heritage Grant Program

    City of Kitchener

    Grants toward conserving individually designated heritage properties and properties in Kitchener heritage districts.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
    20

    Long shot

11. Toronto Heritage Grant Program

    City of Toronto (Heritage Planning)

    Matching grants since 1986 for eligible heritage conservation work on Toronto properties designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. Helps owners repair masonry, windows...

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $20K
    20

    Long shot

Questions

How many housing and real estate programs for individuals and families are open right now?

Of the 14 housing and real estate programs for individuals and families in our database, 9 are open or ongoing and 2 take applications only in intake windows. The rest are closed, paused or of unknown status, so they are not ranked on this page. Counts reflect our last check on Oct 17, 2026; programs can change without notice.

What is the largest published amount among these programs?

Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "Limit $60K". Published figures are program maximums, caps or limits, not what an applicant should expect to receive; many programs pay a share of eligible costs and amounts depend on your project and eligibility.

Which housing and real estate programs for individuals and families rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Home Buyers' Plan (53, Top pick), First-Time Home Buyers' GST/HST Rebate (46, Strong), First Home Savings Account (45, Strong). The score combines the size of the published amount, how much work an application takes, how likely an eligible applicant is to succeed and how many people qualify.

Do I have to pay this money back?

It depends on the program. Grants and incentives are generally not repaid, loans always are, and some contribution agreements are partly or fully repayable, so read the terms of each program. Among the 9 open or ongoing programs here, 0 are in our Grants category, 1 are loans and 8 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

5 of the 9 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 4 from the Ontario government. Both levels can usually be combined, but many programs have stacking rules that cap total government funding for the same costs, so check them before you apply.

Is this an official government website?

No. Grants & Loans Finder is an independent research tool. Each program page links to the official source, and applications are always made with the government agency or lender that runs the program.