Brampton Housing Catalyst Capital Project

The Brampton Housing Catalyst Capital Project is a deliverable of the City’s housing strategy “Housing Brampton”. It addresses two of the six principles that will guide the City’s response to housing needs; ‘Collaborate with the non-profit sector’ and ‘Demonstrate innovation’. It also addresses a number of key action items identified under the ‘Big Moves’ in the strategy. Moreover, it is a deliverable of the action item ‘A framework of incentives’.

About the program

Housing Brampton proposes a number of innovative approaches and pilot projects to demonstrate new housing solutions. The ‘Housing Catalyst Capital Project’ will deliver capital funding and support non-profits in the delivery of new housing ideas for Brampton. This will assist non-profits in upfront costs associated with technical studies, design, etc.

Project Vision

The Housing Catalyst Capital Project will help incentivise ideas around new and innovative housing options. The intent is that these pilots will inspire others and help the City establish required policy and other mechanisms to facilitate continued innovation.

Project Scope

Housing Brampton has identified opportunity areas for ideas, partnership approaches and community co-design. The Housing Catalyst Capital Project will call for applications through an Expression of Interest, with a defined project selection criteria.

A total of $4M has been earmarked through the City’s 2021 budget for Phase 1 of the Catalyst Project. This fund will be dispersed among a maximum of 4 applications that are evaluated and selected based on a competitive process.

The Phase 2 of the Catalyst Project will seek funding of an additional $4M through the 2023 Budget process. A separate EOI for Phase 2 will be posted in 2023.

A ‘Selection Committee’ comprising of City and external housing experts will evaluate the proposals.

Successful applicants will be the first to participate in this innovative program.

Pilot ideas that will be incentivised in Phase 1 are:

Single Room Occupancy housing (SROs): purpose-built affordable rental housing for singles (students, newcomers, seniors); preferably through modular construction methodology
Affordable home ownership options: housing for First-Time Buyers (FTB) and marginalized people through various unique home equity models, land lease and others
Affordable house-scale infill: ensuring affordable units are obtained in missing middle infill housing through mechanisms such as funding, land trusts, co-operatives or partnerships with other institutions
Flexible and incremental design approaches: higher density multi-unit housing with innovative designs – eg. flexible floor layouts that offer ‘bays’ that can be purchased over time to match unit size as household size increases

Applicants will be able to stack other incentives from senior levels of government on the City’s grants. The pilot ideas also align with the intent of recent provincial initiatives in housing.

Selection Criteria /Eligibility requirements:

Mandatory Criteria

To be considered for funding, the Selection Committee will evaluate and select proposals that meet the mandatory criteria as below:

Project aligns with “Housing Brampton”;
Project is submitted by a non-profit organisation, where no part of the income is payable to, or otherwise available for, the personal benefit of a member or shareholder thereof. And the organization has been a non-for-profit organization for at least five (5) years. The proponent acknowledges that the City may require satisfactory documentation from them to confirm that they are incorporated and operating as a not-for-profit. If the non-profit organization is partnered with a for-profit organization for the purposes of this proposal, the proponent must

a. provide an explanation setting out what share of the proposal would be owned by each partner. The proponent acknowledges that the City may require satisfactory documentation

b. from them to confirm that the non-profit would receive an ownership interest in the proposal that is equal to its contributions including any grant that it may receive as a result of the Brampton Housing Catalyst Capital Project;
Project is proposed to be managed or operated by organisations experienced for a minimum of 5 years;
Project explores innovative operating models, financing options, partnerships between all types of stakeholders (builders, agencies, levels of government), and in the design and implementation;
Project targets households that include households in need (including seniors, students, veterans, lone parent household, new immigrants, and indigenous populations);
Project meets the affordability thresholds for Brampton income deciles 1 to 6 (2021) as per the applicable project criteria in the EOI;
Project ensures that affordability, as referenced by the affordable thresholds for Brampton for 2021 as described in this document, be maintained for a minimum of 25 years; and;
Project is located within the geographic boundary of the City of Brampton.

Preferred Criteria

All applications that meet the mandatory criteria will also be reviewed against the preferred criteria as below. While not required to do so, applications that meet any or all of the preferred criteria will be evaluated favourably, unless the project proposal provides an explanation of why the preferred criteria cannot be incorporated in relation to the project scope.

Project is located within the City's Designated Nodes and Corridors as found on Schedule 1 and Schedule 1a of the City’s Official Plan; or upcoming Major Transit Station Areas, and or in close proximity (400 metres radius) to services and amenities (e.g., frequent transit, schools, recreation centres, retail and other services);
Project incorporates universal accessibility features;
Project addresses culture appropriate design and spatial needs of multi-generational households; unless not applicable under selected project scope; and
Project includes modular, pre-fabricated and manufactured construction technology, wherever applicable under selected project scope.

Any additional information that would enhance the submission.

About the p​rogram

Project Vision

Project Scope

Selection Criteria /Eligibility requirements:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Our Vision is the long-term goal for our city.

For more information on Housing Brampton, please contact:

For Housing Brampton media inquires please email:

About the program

Selection Criteria /Eligibility requirements: