Grants
Up to $99,000
For
Non-profit housing providers to plan for climate-friendly renovations
We’re providing $5 million in grants to help non-profit housing providers and housing co-operatives to take on deep energy retrofits.
It’s a key part of our climate commitments.
We support projects that help non-profit housing providers and housing co-operatives put their buildings on a pathway to net-zero and climate resilience — toward buildings that emit no greenhouse gases and better withstand the negative effects of a changing climate, ensuring occupant comfort and health are
maintained.
Non-profit housing providers, and organizations that support them, can apply for a grant to enable climate-friendly retrofits.
We offer two types of grants based on your project phase: planning grants, and capital and implementation support grants. Applicants are welcome to apply for both.
Get grants up to $80,000 to support planning for deep energy and carbon retrofit projects such as:
Grants can be used in combination with other funding programs.
You can use these grants for:
Organizations that have 10+ multi-unit residential buildings in their portfolio are eligible for:
Capital grants can support Vancity members who undertake retrofit projects that will achieve a minimum reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 30%, and move a building along a pathway toward net-zero emissions. Grants can be used to cover:
Additional funding for implementation support is available with capital grants. Implementation funding can be used to cover costs such as:
The maximum grant funds available per application is $99,000. This includes:
Organizations that have 10+ multi-unit residential buildings in their portfolio are eligible to receive up to $180,000 in capital grants and up to $18,000 in implementation support for retrofit projects in a minimum of two buildings.
Projects not in alignment with a net-zero pathway are not eligible for capital or implementation support grants. For example, projects that include upgrades to existing, or the installation of new, gas-powered space heating/cooling or domestic hot water systems will not be funded. Hybrid systems are also ineligible.
You are eligible to participate in the program if your organization is:
Not a member?
Connect with our Community Investment team and learn about all the ways we can support your organization.
Review the grant guidelines document which includes all the information you’ll need to fill out the application form.
Once we receive your completed application, we’ll follow up within three weeks and if required, request additional information or a meeting to further discuss your project.
To reach a net-zero future, portfolio and capital planning need to include measures for deep emissions reductions and climate resilience. In partnership with Affine Climate Solutions three of our members are working towards establishing best practices in the non-profit housing sector and are working closely with them to test new approaches for net-zero retrofit planning.
Pilot participants are receiving free consulting services from Affine Climate Solutions that include:
The pilot participants are all in different stages of the program, but we’ve already seen great results. Our first participant is now ready to finance a building project that is expected to reduce GHG emissions by approximately 99% and add cooling in a 31-unit building serving seniors. This pilot project has and continues to inform refinements to our program.
If your non-profit organization enables non-profit housing providers or housing co-operatives to implement retrofit projects, we’d love to support your work. Organizations we’ve supported and ways they’ve used the funding:
Should your organization be on this list?
Connect with us at housingretrofits@vancity.com.
Help us evolve this new program. What challenges are you seeing with retrofitting buildings that we can help with?
Email us at housingretrofits@vancity.com.
