FAQs

Partners for Affordable Housing is a registered non-profit, supported by its affiliated charity, Harvest Impact Foundation (Charitable Registration #76278 0823 RR0001).

Incorporated in 2023, Partners for Affordable Housing is a national foundation that aligns philanthropic, corporate community investment, and social impact financing with public priorities and community housing needs. The foundation connects private donors and foundations, corporations, and social impact investors with viable affordable housing solutions delivered through trusted non-profit and community housing providers.

“Partners” in the name refers to the many players – public, private, philanthropic, and non-profit provider partners – who come together to get affordable housing projects over the finish line, faster. These are also referred to as P4 Partnerships.

Partners for Affordable Housing is women-led and women-founded. The team is made up of fund development, grant program and marketing experts. The board of directors and national advisory council members are all senior representatives from housing, finance, policy, and philanthropy across Canada. The staff members are expert personnel in fundraising, project management, finance, communications, and government relations.

The organization is currently funded by $3.5 million raised in seed capital and government contracts. As fundraising capacity scales up, a small percentage of the funds raised will be used to sustain operations.

Partners for Affordable Housing mobilizes socially inspired capital to help close the equity gap left by government funding and traditional financing, which prevents many affordable housing projects from moving forward. The foundation connects private donors and foundations, corporations, and social impact investors with viable, affordable housing solutions delivered through trusted non-profit and community housing providers.

Socially-inspired capital – the blend of philanthropy, corporate community investment, and social impact financing – is a critical missing ingredient in Canada’s affordable housing crisis.

There is no easy way to define affordable housing. Because income levels vary dramatically, what is affordable for one person, may not be affordable for another. People with lower incomes require more deeply affordable housing. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), in Canada, housing is considered “affordable” if it costs less than 30 per cent of a household’s before-tax income. People without access to adequate and suitable housing that meets this threshold are said to be in “core housing need.” In markets where housing costs are very high, projects require more subsidies to keep units deeply affordable and accessible to people in core housing need. Partners for Affordable Housing prioritizes support for organizations that acquire, build and/or deliver deeply affordable housing and tenancy support programs, and are committed to preserving affordability in perpetuity.

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), a household is in core housing need if its housing does not meet one or more of the adequacy, suitability or affordability standards (as defined by CMHC here) and the household would have to spend 30 per cent or more of its before-tax income to pay rent and utilities for alternative local market housing that meets all three standards. In a November 2023 report authored by Carolyn Whitzman, she finds Canada is missing 4.4 million homes that are affordable for people in core housing need. That includes a deficit of three million homes for low and very low-income households (able to afford less than $1,050 per month for housing) and a further 1.4 million missing homes for moderate and median-income households.

Partners for Affordable Housing currently operates in Alberta and Ontario and will expand as capacity and funder priorities allow.

Housing challenges differ by region. In communities across Canada, community-led housing providers are developing viable solutions to accelerate access to safe, affordable homes that meet local needs. Partners for Affordable Housing mobilizes socially-inspired capital, expertise, and leadership from across sectors at the national level in a transparent and coordinated way, integrating them into the local housing system.

Funders may choose to designate funds to a specific project, campaign or funding stream. Funding eligibility guidelines are in development. More information on this topic will be available in the coming months.

Some granting is expected to begin in spring of 2026. Watch our website and newsletter for new funding opportunities. If you are an organization providing housing solutions, you can provide input using this link.

“Partners” in the name refers to the many players – public, private, philanthropic, and non-profit provider partners – who come together to get affordable housing projects over the finish line, faster. These are also referred to as P4 Partnerships.

Yes and no. There are many players in the affordable housing sector doing important work, and they are all needed. Partners for Affordable Housing is unique, however, in that it is the only national foundation solely dedicated to raising socially inspired capital for affordable housing.

Partners for Affordable Housing operates across Canada to bring together multiple forms of capital. It is a facilitator, a convenor, a connector – in other words, the glue – with a specific focus on bringing philanthropic dollars to projects that need it most. The organization does not build or operate housing. It connects the right money to the right people at the right time.

Partners for Affordable Housing offers a set of funding programs and services to help affordable housing projects overcome hurdles that most frequently cause them to stall or be abandoned. Programs are outlined in more detail on the programs page.

Too often, nonprofit housing providers compete for scarce dollars, limiting their ability to access transformational funding. Collaborative Campaigns unite non-profit housing providers and community organizations under coordinated, large-scale fundraising and investment strategies to expand their access to larger-scale philanthropic, private, and public funding that individual organizations could not secure alone.

The goal is to raise more than $200 million annually by 2035 and distribute 85% to viable, community-led housing projects across the country.

Municipalities set policies and establish affordable housing priorities for their region. They may also donate land and provide funding. Partners for Affordable Housing complements this work, by designing and implementing Collaborative Campaigns that build community engagement in housing projects and unlock new sources of philanthropic and private capital to get projects shovel-ready and fully funded. If your municipality would like to bring a Partners for Affordable Housing team to your community, connect with us here.

There are many types of organizations interested in acquiring, developing and/or running affordable housing programs. This includes social service agencies, co-operatives, land trusts, Indigenous communities, and others. In communities across Canada, community-led housing providers are developing viable solutions to accelerate access to safe, affordable homes. Partners for Affordable Housing amplifies this work and helps housing providers to scale by providing exposure for projects and initiatives through Front Door, connecting funders and providing grants.

Socially-inspired capital is urgently needed to close the equity gap in affordable housing projects and deepen affordability. Donors and foundations can direct donations to a specific housing project or initiative, or to one of Partners for Affordable Housing program streams or collaborative campaigns. All donations qualify for a charitable tax receipt.

Socially-inspired capital is urgently needed to close the equity gap in affordable housing projects and deepen affordability. While not all housing providers are in a position to borrow the funds they need, some do. Partners for Affordable Housing can match social impact investors to projects seeking this type of funding.

Partners for Affordable Housing ensures accountability and reduces risk through:

• Due diligence protocols for projects listed in Front Door, the national affordable housing project directory
• Highly qualified governance and advisory councils
• Legal and financial oversight by professional firms
• Charitable compliance with the Canada Revenue Agency
• Annual audits and public reporting