The Housing Accelerator Fund
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation administers the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). It provides incentives for local governments aimed at increasing the supply of housing. It supports the development of complete, low-carbon and climate-resilient communities that are affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse.
HAF in Thunder Bay
The HAF is a once in a generation opportunity to build Thunder Bay for the future!
The City of Thunder Bay has been awarded up to $20.7 million from the Government of Canada through the HAF to fast-track the development of over 600 new housing units over the next three years, to reach a total of 1,691 new permitted homes by February 2027.
Program goals
- To support affordable housing, multi-unit housing, and "missing middle" housing.
- To encourage intensification on existing municipal servicing - this supports the City of Thunder Bay's strategic goals:
- Support urban density through complete, compact, and walkable development
- Take decisive action to respond to the climate emergency
- Plan and deliver cost-effective services
The goals of the HAF strategy will be achieved through the implementation of the Housing Accelerator Action Plan's eight HAF initiatives.
HAF FAQs
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How do I qualify for the HAF? |
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The following types of housing could qualify for financial incentives:
The following types of housing WILL NOT qualify for financial incentives:
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| What is a Community Improvement Plan (CIP)? |
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A CIP is a tool used to focus municipal initiatives in areas of need of development and/or redevelopment. Adopting a CIP empowers the City to offer grants to cover all or part of the cost of eligible development projects. The City of Thunder Bay currently has a Housing CIP and a Strategic Core Areas CIP. |
| What is the missing middle? |
| “Missing middle housing” refers to housing types that fall somewhere in between a single-detached home and mid-rise apartment buildings – such as townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, and four plexes. This type of housing is our greatest need. |
| What are Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs)? |
| ADUs are homes that are located in or on the same property as the main home. This could include additional homes in a single detatched house or backyard homes. When reviewing the Zoning by-law and other relevant documentation, it is important to know that the City has adopted the term “home” which is used interchangeably with “unit”. |
| How can the community get involved? |
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The community will have opportunities to provide input on the development of various incentives including CIPs. The creation of new CIPs and modification of existing CIPs are public planning processes which require a Public Meeting before City Council makes a decision. Once started, notification will be placed in the local newspaper and on the City’s website. |
| How can I find land to develop? |
| At City Council’s direction, Administration has identified 40 City-owned parcels of land as suitable to be made available for the primary purpose of housing. These lands will be presented to Council in a series of reports and, as approved, will then be marketed as lands currently available for sale. |
| What is the role of the Mayor’s Task Force on Building More Homes? |
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The Mayor’s Task Force on Building More Homes is an Advisory Committee of Council that includes citizen representatives with expertise in housing and related initiatives. The role of the Mayor’s Task Force is to guide the implementation of the City’s Housing Pledge and Housing Accelerator Action Plans and recommend additional strategies and actions to accelerate the development of a range of housing types and affordability levels to meet the City’s housing needs. |
| Is there a timeframe to spend the incentive money? |
| The City of Thunder Bay’s agreement is a multi-year agreement for the above eight HAF initiatives spanning 2024 -2027. Each initiative may have individual milestone dates to be achieved. |
| How is the city spending the funding? |
| The City of Thunder Bay has eight HAF initiatives. Each initiative has a number of milestones and allocation of funds to achieve realization of the milestones. They are listed above. |
| Will this funding help housing affordability challenges? |
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Yes, there is direct funding for affordable housing. Also funding that can be leveraged to attain funding for affordable housing from sources beyond HAF. Generally, added housing supply affects affordability across the housing continuum. |
Mayor's Task Force on Building More Homes
The Mayor's Task Force on Building More Homes guides the delivery of housing Initiatives and recommends additional strategies and actions to accelerate the development of a range of housing types and housing affordability levels to meet the City’s housing needs.
The main objectives of the Task Force are:
- to accelerate desirable housing development consistent with the policies outlined within the City’s Official Plan and other approved strategies;
- achieve community support, collaboration and participation to share in and deliver housing goals;
- support and accelerate a range of housing types and affordability levels with particular focus on affordable housing;
- identify and provide recommendations to overcome the root causes constraining housing development and affordability;
- improve Thunder Bay’s financial position by achieving additional density and making the best use of existing infrastructure; investigate and recommend additional resources to implement recommendations.
| 2024-2027 Mayor's Task Force Members |
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