Apply for land available through the Land for Housing Program
The Land for Housing Program helps create affordable housing. Private developers and community housing developers can apply for provincially owned land available through the Land for Housing Program.
Apply for land available through the Land for Housing Program to help offset development costs of creating affordable housing.
You need to use the land to create new housing that includes affordable rental units for households with low to moderate income. Affordable housing is housing where the rent is below the average market rent (AMR) for the location.
Projects given priority include housing development that:
- offers rent that’s at least 20% below average market rent
- can be completed quickly
- achieves higher-than-average social, economic or environmental outcomes
Eligible projects
Eligible projects need to be primarily residential.
The Land for Housing Program considers all types of housing projects based on the suitability of the land site. This includes:
- mixed-income, mixed-use and mixed-tenure projects
- single or multi-family dwellings
- single room occupancy, co-housing and micro-units
- seniors’ independent living housing (excluding healthcare or long-term care facilities)
Eligibility
You can apply for land through the Land for Housing Program if you’re a private developer or community housing (co-operative or non-profit) developer.
You need to:
- be registered and in good standing with Registry of Joint Stock Companies or partner with a business that is
- be a corporation, co-operative, non-profit society, Indigenous governing body or organization pursuing off-reserve housing projects
- have previous property development and property management experience or engage a professional third-party property management company
- have a plan for construction and operations that’s financially viable (capable of producing a profit)
- meet equity requirements
You also need to meet any additional eligibility criteria outlined in the Property Opportunity Notice you’re applying for. Eligibility criteria may change based on specific land sites and the communities they’re located in.
Equity requirements
Private developers need to make a minimum equity contribution of 20% of the project’s eligible capital development costs in the form of cash or unencumbered land.
Community housing groups need to make a minimum equity contribution of 5% of the project’s eligible capital development costs in the form of cash.
How to apply
- Review detailed program criteria and deadlines in the Property Opportunity Notices.
- Contact the Land for Housing Program if you have any questions about a property opportunity notice.
- Review the proposal submission requirements and check the property opportunity notice for details on all required supporting documents.
- Send your project proposal and supporting documents by email.
How long it takes
It should take 6 to 8 weeks for the Land for Housing Program to review your project proposal and let you know if your proposal is approved. It can take longer if more information is needed or if your proposal doesn’t include all the required information.
Cost
There is no cost to apply, but you need to be able to meet the minimum equity requirements (20% for private developers and 5% for community housing developers).