Funding to plan or build affordable housing

Housing providers can get funding to build, renew or maintain housing for seniors, families with low income, and groups with special needs.

Important dates

Submissions are reviewed in the spring and fall each year.

Overview

Housing providers can access funding through the Government of Alberta to create or maintain affordable housing units.

Unless otherwise noted, all programs are funded through capital investment. This means that government owns a portion of the project based on the amount of the investment relative to the total project cost.

The Alberta government uses the Alberta Government Strategic Plan (PDF, 483 KB) to plan and fund these projects.

The Capital Planning Framework helps with this planning process. It provides additional information including:

  • the definition of capital planning
  • descriptions of Alberta Seniors and Housing capital programs
  • an explanation of how capital investments are prioritized
  • an overview of the annual Capital Plan process including roles, authorities and timelines

Guidelines

All capital programs are designed to support the achievement of outcomes outlined in the Provincial Affordable Housing Strategy.

Four of these outcomes are key in guiding government capital investment decisions:

  1. Quality: The condition of government-owned and supported housing units meets or exceeds industry standards and reduces environmental impact.
  2. Sustainable: Capital investments, programming and financial decisions are planned and managed to meet present and future needs of the affordable housing system.
  3. Integrated: The affordable housing system is socially incorporated into communities, and integrates social, education, health and community-based supports.
  4. Adaptive: The affordable housing system is flexible, innovative and responsive in order to effectively meet the needs of Albertans

Family and community housing development and renewal program

The Family and Community Housing Development and Renewal Program facilitates major renovation, replacement and extension projects to government-owned and/or supported affordable family and community housing. These housing units are operated under the Alberta Housing Act or through long term operating agreements where tenant rent is set based on the tenant's income.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

  • housing management bodies
  • housing management agencies
  • non-profit housing organizations that have a long-term operating agreement with the Government of Alberta

How to apply

Step 1: Review the capital planning framework

Alberta Seniors and Housing Capital Planning Framework

Step 2: Review the program fact sheet

Family and community housing development and renewal fact sheet

Step 3: Fill out the submission form

Major capital project submission form (XLSX, 120 KB)

Step 4: Email submission

Email your submission to housingcapital@gov.ab.ca.

Seniors housing development and renewal program

The Seniors Housing Development and Renewal Program facilitates major renovation, replacement and redevelopment projects at government-owned and/or supported affordable independent and supportive seniors housing. These housing units are operated under the Alberta Housing Act or through long term operating agreements where tenant rent is set based on the tenant's income

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

  • housing management bodies
  • housing management agencies
  • non-profit housing organizations that have a long-term operating agreement with the Government of Alberta

How to apply

Step 1: Review the capital planning framework

Alberta Seniors and Housing Capital Planning Framework

Step 2: Review the program fact sheet

Seniors housing development and renewal fact sheet

Step 3: Fill out the submission form

Major capital project submission form (XLSX, 120 KB)

Step 4: Email submission

Email your submission to housingcapital@gov.ab.ca.

Affordable and specialized housing program

The Affordable and Specialized Housing Program creates new affordable housing projects that provide supportive social or health services for Albertans.

These projects focus on:

  • reducing homelessness
  • making housing available for Albertans with specialized needs

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

  • housing management bodies
  • housing management agencies
  • non-profit housing organizations that have a long-term operating agreement with the Government of Alberta
  • community-based organizations

How to apply

Step 1: Review the capital planning framework

Alberta Seniors and Housing Capital Planning Framework

Step 2: Review the program fact sheet

Affordable and Specialized Housing Program fact sheet

Step 3: Fill out the submission form

Major capital project submission form (XLSX, 120 KB)

Step 4: Email submission

Email your submission to housingcapital@gov.ab.ca.

Affordable housing energy savings program

The Affordable Housing Energy Savings Program (AHESP) will help make Alberta's affordable housing units more environmentally and financially sustainable.

The program creates several opportunities:

  • reduced GHG emissions and improved energy efficiency
  • increased environmental and financial sustainability of affordable housing
  • lower utility costs for affordable housing providers and tenants
  • support implementation of the Government of Alberta's Climate Leadership Plan (CLP)

Eligibility

Housing providers operating provincially or municipally owned housing assets are eligible to apply.

Eligible retrofits include:

  • replacing exterior windows and doors
  • upgrading and/or installing attic, exterior wall and basement insulation
  • replacing heating, cooling, water, and lighting systems

How to apply

Step 1: Review the capital planning framework

Alberta Seniors and Housing Capital Planning Framework

Step 2: Review the program guide and fact sheet

AHESP program guide
AHESP fact sheet

Step 3: Fill out an Expression of Interest (EOI)

AHESP EOI application spreadsheet (XLSX, 720 KB)

Step 4: Fill out the program application form

Capital funding submission form (PDF, 479 KB)

Step 5: Email submission

Email your submission to sh.ahesp@gov.ab.ca.

Indigenous housing capital program

The Indigenous Housing Capital Program (IHCP) will increase the supply of affordable housing units for Indigenous peoples in need through construction (including additions/extensions), purchase and repurpose. Units may be used for rental or lease-to-purchase.

Funding is available for the planning and development of new projects and/or the construction of planned projects.

Listening tour

Development of the IHCP was guided by feedback gathered from Indigenous and Indigenous-serving organizations during a 2017 province-wide listening tour.

During this tour, we heard:

  • families are the demographic most in need of affordable rental housing
  • 3 and more bedroom units are most needed
  • housing needs to be in safe, secure neighbourhoods, close to supports like schools and transit
  • culturally sensitive housing is required to accommodate multi-generational families, with communal spaces for meetings and ceremonies, such as smudging
  • housing must be designed and delivered by Indigenous governments or organizations that are accountable to their communities and citizens

Read the full ‘What We Heard’ summary.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

  • Indigenous governments or organizations
  • housing management bodies, municipalities, and not-for-profit organizations with formal partnerships with Indigenous governments or organizations

How to apply

Step 1: Review the capital planning framework

Alberta Seniors and Housing Capital Planning Framework

Step 2: Review the program guide and fact sheet

IHCP program guide
IHCP fact sheet

Step 3: Fill out the application and appendix

IHCP application (Word, 187 KB)
IHCP appendix A (PDF, 1.44 MB)

Step 4: Email submission

Email your submission to sh.ihcp@gov.ab.ca.

Capital maintenance and renewal program

The Capital Maintenance and Renewal Program facilitates major renovation, replacement and redevelopment projects at:

  • government owned or supported affordable seniors housing
  • family and community housing
  • independent and supportive seniors housing operated under the Alberta Housing Act
  • independent and supportive seniors housing operated through long term agreements where the resident's rent is set based on their income

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

  • housing management bodies
  • non-profit housing organizations that have a long-term operating agreement with the Government of Alberta

To be considered under this program, individual project costs must exceed $5,000 and result in enhancements to the housing assets that:

  • increase the previously assessed physical output or service capacity
  • reduce associated operating costs
  • extend the estimated useful life
  • improve the physical condition and/or functionality of the facility

How to apply

Step 1: Review the capital planning framework

Alberta Seniors and Housing Capital Planning Framework

Step 2: Review the program fact sheet

Capital Maintenance and Renewal Program fact sheet

Step 3: Fill out the submission form

Major capital project submission form (XLSX, 120KB)

Step 4: Email submission

Email your submission to housingcapital@gov.ab.ca.