Energy Efficiency Features Net Zero News
FCM Sustainable Affordable Housing investing $1.7MIL in 15 organizations

February 22, 2022 – Created in partnership with the Government of Canada, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Sustainable Affordable Housing initiative aims to help housing providers retrofit existing units for higher energy performance, or build new affordable housing to net zero energy standards.

“Making Canada’s existing building stock more energy-efficient will get us a long way to our climate targets, and our homes are an important part of that,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources.

The initiative is investing $1,701,030 in 16 plans, studies and pilot projects to support the building or retrofitting of 16,753 units in communities across Canada.

In Vancouver, the Brightside Community Homes Foundation received $175,000 to validate targeted energy use in the redevelopment of a site to a more-accessible multi-unit residential building that will mostly serve seniors.

In Vancouver, the Unity Centre of Practical Christianity received a $25,000 planning grant to identify opportunities to redevelop an existing site into affordable rental units for the broader community.

In the Comox Valley Regional District, the Denman Housing Association received $25,000 to develop a plan for energy-efficient, affordable housing on Denman Island, B.C.

In Williams Lake, B.C., the Cariboo Park Home Society received $15,860 for a plan for net zero energy ready (NZER) affordable seniors housing.

In Dugald, Man., Springfield Heritage Housing Inc. received $25,000 for a plan targeting energy efficiency in a 54-unit affordable housing new construction.

In Dartmouth, N.S., Affirmative Ventures Association received $25,000 to develop a comprehensive energy plan for its proposed new six-storey, mixed-use building with 45 affordable housing units.

In Toronto, the Jean Tweed Treatment Centre (Palmerston House) received $77,870 to review retrofit and new-build possibilities that expand and improve its housing portfolio to 15 units.

The Regional Municipality of Peel received $175,000 to study the feasibility of a zero-carbon retrofit of an affordable housing multi-residential facility in Peel-Weavers Hill, Ontario.

Toronto Community Housing Corp. received two grants of $128,800 each for energy audits toward a portfolio-wide upgrade of its aging buildings.

In Toronto, Wellesley Central Residence Inc. received $25,000 for a plan to retrofit a 100% rent-geared-to-income 112-unit building.

In Ontario, Birch Housing (Toronto, Newmarket, Oshawa, London) received $25,000 for a portfolio-wide utility analysis and benchmarking study, and stakeholder engagement.

In Ottawa, The King’s Daughters & Sons Apartments Inc. received $24,000 for a deep energy retrofit plan.

In Orillia, Ont., Raising the Roof Chez Toit received $175,000 for a feasibility study to identify the Passive House Institute EnergyPHit or Low Energy Building Program requirements for a 40-unit building retrofit.

In Kingston, Ont., Kingston Co-operative Homes Inc. received $150,700 to study the feasibility of implementing NZER conservation measures.

In Quebec, the Fiducie foncière communautaire Québec received $500,000 to pilot energy efficiency measures at the Dorimène Cooperative. In addition to using more conventional measures, they will recover heat from an onsite urban farm, store it in geothermal wells, and use phytoremediation to improve air quality.

The Government of Canada endowed the $300-million Sustainable Affordable Housing initiative as part of a $950-million expansion of FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) in Budget 2019.