City launches new round of affordable housing grants |
November 26, 2025
The City of Edmonton has launched its eighth round of affordable housing construction grants, which have helped build 2,473 units of affordable housing since 2019.
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, the City’s approach as an early investor has helped attract $852 million from other orders of government and housing partners and created homes across the affordable housing spectrum, from near-market rentals to social and supportive housing. The eighth round of grants is now open to non-profit and private sector developers interested in developing affordable housing in 2026.
“Access to safe, affordable housing is essential for building a stronger Edmonton,” said Mayor Andrew Knack. “The City’s commitment to affordable housing has helped increase the supply by 30 per cent since 2019. This investment will accelerate housing development and advance reconciliation while also attracting economic investment and supporting our City's growth.”
The grant provides funding through two streams:
- General stream: Covers up to 25 per cent of the total capital costs of newly constructed or rehabilitated affordable housing developments.
- Indigenous housing stream: Assists majority Indigenous-owned organizations pursuing affordable housing development, covering 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.
Housing developers can find helpful resources for developing affordable housing at edmonton.ca/AffordableHousingDevelopers.
The City’s grant can be stacked with the Government of Alberta’s Affordable Housing Partnership Program, which commits $200 million to help build more affordable homes for Albertans, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Affordable Housing Fund, which provides capital to partnered organizations for new affordable housing and community housing.
Quick facts
- Grant applications will be accepted until March 6, 2026. 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: Rental units intended for very low- to low-income households.
- Non-market affordable rentals: Units geared towards low- to moderate-income households, defined as deep subsidy (less than 50 per cent of average market rent) or shallow subsidy (less than 80 per cent of average market rent).
- Near-market affordable rentals: Units geared towards moderate-income households which cost 80 per cent of average market rent.
- Supportive housing: Subsidized housing with on-site support services.
- Mixed-market affordable housing: Combines rental units offered at market rates with units offered at below-market rates, creating a financially sustainable approach to affordable housing.
- 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 to 1,700 supportive housing units and 189 transitional housing units to address the demand for affordable, adequate and suitable housing.
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