Housing Starts Here


Manitoba Housing has introduced Housing Starts Here, an improved, faster approach to expanding the housing supply and ending chronic homelessness in Manitoba.

Manitoba Housing will prioritize funding projects that create:

Through the new streamlined intake, organizations with housing proposals can submit one application to apply for multiple programs any time while funding remains available, including:

  • Proposal Development Funding
  • Capital Funding Program
  • Rental Housing Construction Incentive
  • Support Services Funding for New Supply
  • Operating Funding for New Supply

Manitoba Housing is collaborating with the City of Brandon and City of Winnipeg through the Housing Accelerator Fund and with other partners to bring more programs into this streamlined approach. Criteria are aligned with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and other funders to facilitate stacking of funding.

Take the Self-Assessment

Use the Self-Assessment to see which programs your organization and project may be eligible for.

Sign Up for the Launch

Manitoba Housing will open the intake in the coming weeks. Sign up here to be notified when the Universal Application Form and Application Guide become available.

Overview of Programs

$30 million in capital funding is available in 2024/25. Organizations can access the funds by applying directly to Manitoba Housing or by applying through municipal government partners.

Unless otherwise noted below or in the Application Guide, organizations eligible to apply for funding include non-profits, housing co-operatives, and Indigenous organizations (including private corporations wholly owned by Indigenous governments).

Note the following components are not eligible for funding:

  • acquisition of existing social or affordable housing units that are fully operational and currently providing adequate housing
  • nursing homes, other long-term care facilities, crisis care facilities
  • ownership housing of any kind
  • emergency shelters that only offer congregate overnight shelter spaces
  • Projects located on First Nations reserve land
Proposal Development Funding

Proposal Development Funding helps offset expenses incurred developing social and affordable housing project proposals. It can help your organization engage the professional services needed to help bring your proposal to the financing stage.

Only non-profit corporations and non-profit housing co-operatives can apply. Preference will be given to projects that aim to house Manitobans who have been homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless, including people who are not housed, inappropriately housed, or precariously housed and people who live with multiple health and social barriers.

Funding is provided as a conditional interest-free loan of up to $50,000 and a grant of up to $250,000 for up to 100% of eligible costs.

Capital Funding Program

The Capital Funding Program makes funds available to community housing providers to expand the social and affordable housing supply. Funds come as a forgivable loan up to $70,000 per social or affordable unit to fill funding gaps and help offset development capital costs.

Eligible projects can include acquiring, renovating, or constructing new social or affordable housing units.

Projects should provide support services to tenants with a focus on housing Manitobans who have been homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, including those who are not housed, inappropriately housed, or precariously housed and might live with multiple health and social barriers.

Units must be rented to eligible tenants at social or affordable rates with a plan to continue meeting these criteria for at least 20 years.

Rental Housing Construction Incentive

Budget 2024 introduced the Rental Housing Construction Incentive to kickstart the construction of rental housing. Applicants can claim a tax credit up to 8% of eligible construction capital costs to a maximum of $8,500 per market unit and $13,500 per affordable unit.

The applicant must be a non-profit or for-profit organization permanently established in Manitoba.

The Rental Housing Construction Incentive is in development. Detailed criteria will be added to the Application Guide once finalized.

Support Services Funding for New Supply

Manitoba Housing provides funding for a range of support services aimed at promoting tenant wellbeing and successful tenancies.

The services can range from Tier 2 to Tier 5 supports as defined by the Mental Health and Substance Use/Addiction Treatment System Framework for Manitoba. Within this model supports range from brief interactions for prevention and self-management support (Tier 2) to highly specialized, intensive services that often includes long-term psychiatric treatment services (Tier 5).

Eligible services should focus on Manitobans that have been homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless. This includes people who are not housed, inappropriately housed, or precariously housed and people who live with multiple health and social barriers, including mental health issues or addictions.

More information about the Tier’s can be found at Improving Access and Coordination of Mental Health and Addiction Services: A Provincial Strategy for all Manitobans. Please see the Mental Health and Substance Use/Addiction Treatment System Framework for Manitoba graphic on page 12. “

Eligible costs include:

  • Administration of support services
  • Salaries or wages, professional development and travel of service delivery staff
  • Service delivery expenses, including repair of rental unit damage by participants, participant transportation, incidentals and startup funds to furnish homes
Operating Funding for New Supply

Manitoba Housing can provide operating funding for new social housing up to the maximum Rent Supplement value based on the number of social housing units. This can come in the form of Rent subsidy or operating funding agreements. Manitoba Housing works with applicants on a case-by-case basis, informed by project suitability and funding needs.

The Rent Supplement Program helps low-income individuals and families access stable and suitable housing by bridging the gap between the rent charged by the landlord (the approved affordable rental rate) and the rent paid by the qualifying tenant (the rent-geared-to-income rate). Manitoba Housing enters into agreements to pay owners/operators the monthly rent supplement and the tenant pays their portion of the rent. The tenant must meet eligibility requirements.

Other Resources

Programs:

Contact Us

Email:

HousingDeliveryApplications@gov.mb.ca

Mail:

Housing Starts Here
Housing Delivery and Land Development Branch
Manitoba Housing
200 - 352 Donald Street
Winnipeg MB R3B 2H8

 

 

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