FAQs

Partners for Affordable Housing aligns partners and mobilizes philanthropic capital to scale community-led affordable housing solutions nationally.

“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 Partners.

Partners for Affordable Housing funds community-led affordable housing projects and solutions. This includes new construction and acquisition projects as well as programs designed to support tenant stability. A full inventory of fundable opportunities is available on Front Door, Canada’s first and only affordable housing project directory.

Like most granting foundations, Partners operates with a modest administrative fee that supports the work of building and managing a national affordable housing pipeline – including due diligence, project coordination, funder alignment, and impact tracking. This is work that community housing providers shouldn’t have to absorb on their own. Our model is intentionally lean, designed to maximize the dollars flowing to housing outcomes and increase the overall impact of every dollar invested.

Philanthropic capital is funding contributed by individuals, families, foundations, and corporations motivated by social purpose rather than financial return. In the context of affordable housing, it fills gaps that government and market financing alone cannot, enabling projects and programs that deliver lasting community benefit.

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, housing is considered affordable when it costs less than 30% of a household’s before-tax income. People who can’t access housing that meets this threshold are said to be in “core housing need.” Because incomes vary widely, what is affordable for one household may be deeply out of reach for another — which is why Partners for Affordable Housing prioritizes support for organizations delivering deeply affordable housing and tenancy supports, with a commitment to preserving that affordability in perpetuity.

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a household is in core housing need when their housing falls short on affordability, suitability, or adequacy — and they would need to spend more than 30% of their before-tax income to access housing in their local market that meets all three standards. Canada currently has a shortage of 4.4 million homes for people in core housing need, including three million for low and very low-income households.

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

Housing challenges vary significantly across Canada, and local community housing providers are best placed to understand and respond to them. Partners for Affordable Housing works at the national level to mobilize philanthropic capital, expertise, and cross-sector leadership — connecting them to local organizations through Front Door and delivering impact on the ground through Collaborative Community Campaigns that engage residents, funders, and partners around specific housing priorities.

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.

Organizations interested in funding should start by listing their project or program in Front Door, Canada’s national affordable housing directory. Granting is expected to begin in spring 2026. Watch our website and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on funding opportunities as they open.

Partners for Affordable Housing is the only national charity in Canada dedicated to mobilizing philanthropic capital for community-led affordable housing solutions.

Partners for Affordable Housing offers three funding streams – First Mile, Last Mile, and Tenant Stability – designed to support affordable housing projects and solutions at the stages where they most commonly stall. We also operate Front Door, Canada’s first national directory of affordable housing projects, connecting providers with funders and partners. Learn more on our programs page.

Too often, nonprofit housing providers compete for scarce dollars, limiting their ability to access transformational funding. Community-based 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.

Municipalities set housing policy, establish local priorities, and often contribute land or funding to affordable housing projects. Partners for Affordable Housing complements that work by designing and leading community-based collaborative campaigns that build local engagement and unlock philanthropic and private capital to help projects get fully funded and shovel-ready. If your municipality is interested in working with us, we’d love to connect.

Community housing providers – including social service agencies, co-operatives, land trusts, and Indigenous communities – are developing viable, locally rooted solutions to the housing crisis every day. Partners for Affordable Housing amplifies and accelerates that work by connecting providers with funders, offering grant funding through our First Mile, Last Mile, and Tenant Stability funding streams, and increasing project visibility through Front Door, Canada’s national affordable housing directory.

Philanthropic capital is urgently needed to close funding gaps in affordable housing projects and deepen affordability. Donors and foundations can direct their giving to a specific housing project or initiative, or contribute to one of our funding streams – First Mile, Last Mile, or Tenant Stability – or to a community-based collaborative campaign. All donations qualify for a charitable tax receipt.

Social finance tools – including impact investment funds, community bonds, and other innovative financing mechanisms – can play an important role in closing funding gaps for affordable housing projects. Partners for Affordable Housing can help connect community housing providers to social finance opportunities and the organizations best positioned to support them.

Yes. Harvest Impact Foundation – Charitable Registration #76278 0823 RR0001 – is a Canadian charity doing business as Partners for Affordable Housing.