LoanCanadaProperty DevelopmentReal Estate Financing

Apartment Construction Loan Program: Standard Rental Housing

The Apartment Construction Loan Program provides low-cost financing to support the construction of standard rental housing. It also supports the conversion of non-residential to standard rental housing.

Offered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

Amount

Low-cost loan of up to 100% loan to cost for residential space and up to 75% loan to cost for non-residential space, with up to a 50-year amortization period

Quick eligibility check

Years in business
No minimum stated
Employees
No limit stated
Revenue
No limit stated
Legal structure
Incorporated, sole proprietor, partnership, non-profit, other
Location
Anywhere in Canada

Who can apply

Eligible borrowers include for-profit developers, non-profit developers and other levels of government.

All projects must:

  1. have at least 5 rental units
  2. have a loan size of at least $1 million
  3. respond to a need for rental supply
  4. primary purpose of the project must be considered residential with the non-residential component not to exceed 30% of total gross floor space nor 30% of total cost
  5. be permanent in nature (long-term stay)
  6. meet the minimum documentation requirements

Financial viability:

  1. You must have the financial and operational ability to carry the project without ongoing subsidies and the ability to meet debt coverage ratio requirements.

Affordability:

You must meet and maintain one of the following affordability requirements for at least 10 years:

Option 1:

  1. At least 20% of units must have rents at or below 30% of the median total income of all families in the subject market.

Option 2:

  1. Alternatively, the requirement may be met if rents are established pursuant to an affordable housing program or other initiative (federal, provincial, territorial or municipal) that approves the proposal and provides support for the development of the standard rental housing project.

Borrower Eligibility

Property Details Eligible applicants include but are not limited to:

  1. Purpose built standard rental properties with – Private entrepreneur/builder/developer.

a minimum of 5 units.

  1. Public or private non-profit housing organization.
  2. Fully self-contained units only.
  3. Rental co-operative (Note: equity co-ops are
  4. Primary use is residential. not eligible).
  5. Other levels of government (Indigenous Governing

Body, Province, Territory, Municipality).

About the funding

Loans through the program offer:

Favourable terms

  1. A fixed interest rate locked in at first advance for certainty during the riskiest periods of development.
  2. Qualify for up to a 50-year amortization period.
Show all funding details
  1. Qualify for up to 100% loan to cost for residential space and up to 75% loan to cost for non-residential space (depending on the strength of the application).

Low costs

  1. Interest-only payments: Financed by the loan during construction and paid by the borrower from the occupancy permit until 12 consecutive months of stabilized effective gross income (stabilization).
  2. Principal and Interest payments: Paid by the borrower from stabilization to end of term.

Access to CMHC mortgage loan insurance

  1. CMHC mortgage loan insurance is an integrated feature of the program. The borrower does not pay the premium, only the PST if applicable.

Please note:

At the end of the term, the applicant is responsible for arranging take-out financing with a CMHC approved lender.

Tier 5 – 70% more efficient 35 pts Lending Flexibility Scorecard Maximum Maximum LTC Amortization Loan Term Other Tier 3 – (Min. 0 pts) Up to 90% Up to 45-years One 10-year term N/A Tier 2 – (Min. 47 pts) Up to 95% Up to 50-years One 10-year term N/A Tier 1 – (Min. 65 pts) Up to 100% Up to 50-years Option of: one Financing land 10-year term equity is or permitted one 20-year term Note: Despite the eligibility for certain loan amounts under the lending flexibility scorecard, CMHC may negotiate lower loan amounts to respect available funding and unit targets prescribed by the Government of Canada, or as otherwise required as part of the credit assessment of the loan.

The Apartment Construction Loan Program provides low-cost financing to support the construction of standard rental housing. It also supports the conversion of non-residential to standard rental housing.

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