Housing and real estate programs for municipalities and local governments

Ranked programs

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

1. Site Readiness Program

   Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

   Funding assistance to prepare eligible industrial properties for investment and business expansion opportunities.

   OpenOntarioOther incentivesUp to $25K
   34

   Worth a look

2. Building Faster Fund

   Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

   Rewards municipalities that meet at least 80% of their provincially assigned housing targets with funding for housing-enabling infrastructure.

   OngoingOntarioGrants
   32

   Worth a look

3. Investment Ready: Certified Site Designation

   Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

   A designation for industrial properties that complete program requirements proving they are primed for development, with partial reimbursement of eligible expenses.

   OpenOntarioOther incentivesUp to $50K
   32

   Worth a look

4. Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy

   Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

   A community-based program funding projects that prevent and reduce homelessness in urban, Indigenous, territorial and rural and remote communities, with decisions made...

   OngoingFederalGrants
   28

   Worth a look

5. CMHC Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP)

   Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

   Low-cost construction-to-stabilization loans for rental housing, including standard rental, seniors and student housing. Key financing for real estate developers.

   OpenFederalLoans
   21

   Long shot

6. Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP)

   Ministry of Infrastructure

   Ontario's Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program funds core municipal infrastructure (roads, bridges, water, wastewater, irrigation) through five streams. Four have...

   Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $8M
   20

   Long shot

7. FedNor - Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative (Northern Ontario)

   FedNor

   Supports Northern Ontario businesses and organizations strengthening the housing supply chain and residential construction innovation. Commercial projects are generally...

   Intake-basedFederalLoansLoans up to $500K
   14

   Long shot

8. Build Canada Homes (BCH) - proposal portal and financing

   Build Canada Homes (Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada)

   Federal agency that finances and builds affordable housing with private developers, non-profits, Indigenous partners and governments; uses tools such as loans, loan...

   OpenFederalLoans
   13

   Long shot

9. Canada Infrastructure Bank - Infrastructure for Housing Initiative

   Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)

   Low-cost, risk-sharing loans for public infrastructure that enables housing growth; repayments are linked to growth in housing units. The CIB finances enabling...

   OngoingFederalLoans
   10

   Long shot

10. Federal Lands Initiative (CMHC)

    Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

    Transfers or leases surplus federal lands and buildings to eligible housing providers at discounted or no cost for development into affordable, accessible...

    Intake-basedFederalOther incentives
    6

    Long shot

Questions

How many housing and real estate programs for municipalities and local governments are open right now?

Of the 22 housing and real estate programs for municipalities and local governments in our database, 7 are open or ongoing and 3 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 29, 2026; programs can change without notice.

What is the largest published amount among these programs?

Canada Infrastructure Bank - Infrastructure for Housing Initiative publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "$50M". 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 municipalities and local governments rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Site Readiness Program (34, Worth a look), Building Faster Fund (32, Worth a look), Investment Ready: Certified Site Designation (32, Worth a look). 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 7 open or ongoing programs here, 2 are in our Grants category, 3 are loans and 2 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

4 of the 7 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 3 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.