OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 22, 2026 /CNW/ -- Preserving affordable rental homes and increasing housing supply are essential to ensuring Canadians can continue to live in the communities they call home. As housing demand grows, protecting existing affordable rental housing is an important part of maintaining affordability across the country.

Build Canada Homes (BCH), the federal Crown corporation dedicated to scaling up the supply of affordable housing, is advancing this work through partnerships that deliver more homes, faster, across Canada. As one of the first initiatives under BCH, the Canada Rental Protection Fund (CRPF) helps community housing providers acquire, preserve and renew at-risk rental properties, protecting affordable rental homes while strengthening community ownership and supporting long-term affordability.

Today, the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, announced that, following an open call for applications, the Canadian Housing Acquisition Fund (CHAF) has been selected as the successful applicant to deploy investments from the $1.5 billion CRPF. CHAF will leverage the CRPF to help community housing providers acquire and renew existing affordable rental housing. CHAF will also attract additional funding from charitable organizations, private investors and government, while allowing repaid funds to be reinvested in future acquisitions to protect more affordable homes across the country.

This investment will enable community housing providers to acquire and renew existing rental properties, preserving their affordability over the long term. This initiative has the potential to protect 7,000 at-risk rental homes over the Fund's first five years, with thousands more as capital is reinvested.

CHAF's founding members include Canadian Housing Renewal Association (CHRA), The National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc. (NICHI), Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, and the BC Rental Protection Fund, combining sector expertise with a proven acquisition model that has already demonstrated success in protecting affordable rental housing at scale.

CHAF has launched its online intake portal and organizational pre-qualification process for eligible community housing providers. Information on eligibility requirements, affordability criteria, application processes, required documentation, and intake timelines is available on CHAF's website.

Quotes:

"Every Canadian deserves a place to call home. That is why our new government is taking decisive action to protect affordable rental housing through the Canada Rental Protection Fund, helping preserve affordable homes and ensuring more Canadians can remain in their communities."
— The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

"The Canada Rental Protection Fund reflects the Government's commitment to safeguarding affordable housing while ensuring strong stewardship of public funds. By investing in a sector-led model, we are supporting an independent organization with the expertise and capacity needed to act quickly in competitive markets. We are confident the Canadian Housing Acquisition Fund will generate meaningful and lasting results for Canadians by protecting the homes they rely on."
— Ana Bailão, Chief Executive Officer, Build Canada Homes

"This is about more than protecting the affordability we have today, it's about growing the community housing sector for the future. Every home acquired becomes part of Canada's community housing stock for the long term, creating lasting affordability and a stronger foundation for communities across the country."
— Ray Sullivan, Board Chair , Canadian Housing Acquisition Fund

Quick Facts:

• In Budget 2024, the Government of Canada established the CRPF to help protect existing affordable rental housing by supporting acquisitions led by the community housing sector.
• Supported by a $1.5 billion federal investment, the CRPF is designed to mobilize additional investment from the charitable sector, private sector, and other orders of government, creating a revolving source of funding that maximizes the impact of federal support. The potential to protect 7,000 at risk-homes in the first five years is subject to market conditions and available acquisition opportunities.
• The CRPF is a Government of Canada initiative overseen by BCH. Following a competitive process, the CHAF was selected to receive and manage the federal investment, while BCH provides stewardship and oversight of the Fund's federal investment.
• CHAF was selected through a competitive process based on its experience, expertise, capacity and alignment with program objectives. CHAF will provide future updates related to program intake, eligibility, application requirements and timelines.
• The CRPF supports BCH's broader mandate by protecting existing affordable housing while other initiatives focus on increase housing supply. Together, these efforts contribute to a more complete and coordinated approach to addressing housing affordability in Canada.

Associated Links

Canada Rental Protection Fund
Canadian Housing Acquisition Fund (CHAF)
CHAF Investment Approach

About Build Canada Homes
Build Canada Homes is a federal Crown corporation with the mandate to scale up the supply of affordable housing across Canada. By leveraging public lands, deploying flexible financial tools, and acting as a catalyst for modern methods of construction, Build Canada Homes is driving a more productive and innovative homebuilding sector.

SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities