January 28, 2025
The City of Edmonton is offering up to $20 million in grants for affordable housing providers to accelerate development in 2025.
The Affordable Housing Investment Program is the City’s flagship affordable housing program, providing grants for new development construction and the repair of existing units. Since 2019, it has helped reduce barriers to housing and helped create homes across the affordable housing spectrum, from near-market rentals to social and supportive housing. The seventh round of grants is now open to non-profit and private sector developers interested in developing affordable housing in 2025.
“Access to safe, affordable housing is essential for building a stronger Edmonton. This investment will accelerate housing development and advance reconciliation while also attracting economic investment and supporting our City's growth,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
The grant provides funding through two streams:
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General stream: covers up to 25 per cent of the total capital costs of newly constructed or rehabilitated affordable housing developments.
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Indigenous housing stream: Assists Indigenous organizations pursuing affordable housing development and covers up to 25 per cent of the capital costs of newly constructed or rehabilitated affordable housing developments and up to 40 per cent for developments that exceed specific affordability, energy efficiency and unit size criteria.
To be successful, housing providers must guarantee that the affordable units will be offered at below-market rates for 25 to 40 years. Projects are also required to be environmentally sustainable for long-term resilience.
Since 2019, the City has invested $254 million in affordable housing to help create 5,553 units, including 916 units of supportive housing. Every dollar invested by the City attracts an additional four dollars from other levels of government and affordable housing developers.
To create a city where affordable housing can be found anywhere, we need Edmontonians to welcome it everywhere. Edmontonians can learn more about life inside affordable and supportive housing at edmonton.ca/WelcomeHomes.
Quick Facts
- Grant applications will be accepted until April 25, 2025. General stream applicants must have issued Development Permits.
- Affordable housing is operated, funded or created through direct government subsidies. There are different types of affordable housing to meet different needs.
- Social housing: rent-geared-to-income for very low to low income households
- Non-market affordable: deep subsidy (less than 50 per cent market rent) and shallow subsidy (less than 80 per cent market rent) for low to moderate income households
- Near-market affordable rentals: 80 per cent market rent for moderate income households
- Supportive housing is subsidized housing with on-site support services.
- One in eight households, one in four renter households and one in three Indigenous renter households are in core housing need, meaning they pay too much for housing or live in crowded or unsafe conditions and can’t afford to move. This number is projected to increase in the next five years.
- By 2031, Edmonton will need 39,700 more affordable rental housing units, 1,400 - 1,700 units of supportive housing and 189 units of Transitional Housing to address the demand for affordable, adequate and suitable housing.
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