Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Town of Collingwood has launched a new funding program to help build more affordable housing across the community.
The Collingwood Housing Incentive Pilot Program (CHIPP) is a competitive, application-based funding program that will provide a range of financial supports and other benefits to eligible applicants, including for-profit and non-profit housing providers.
The program includes three funding streams:
- Affordable Additional Residential Unit (ARU) Stream: Incentivizes the creation of affordable rental ARUs, including but not limited to basement apartments, duplexes, triplexes, garden suites, and tiny homes, by offering up to $70,000 per affordable unit.
- Affordable Multi-Unit Rental Stream: Incentivizes the creation of affordable rental apartment units by offering up to $200,000 per affordable unit.
- Municipal Lands Stream: Supports the creation of an affordable housing development by offering Town-owned lands at the corner of High Street and Poplar Sideroad.
Collingwood’s affordable housing master plan identifies the need for significant financial support from all orders of government to create affordable housing. In response, the Town has allocated $350,000 to $400,000 annually to the Affordable Housing budget to build the resources needed to incentivize new affordable housing.
CHIPP is intended to stack with other incentives offered by the Town or higher orders of government, including the Province’s development charge exemptions, meaning no development charges will apply to units that meet the CHIPP eligibility requirements.
Projects must be shovel ready or demonstrate the ability to become shovel ready within a reasonable timeline as determined by the Town.
“The launch of this funding program marks a big step in the Town’s housing efforts,” said Mayor Hamlin. “We are hopeful this funding will kick-start more affordable housing projects in our community.”
The CHIPP focuses on affordability for middle-income renter households and aligns with the affordable rental rates outlined in the Town of Collingwood Affordable Housing Master Plan. Background information can be found in Staff Report P2025-30 and Staff Report P2026-14.
To learn more about the program, visit: https://www.collingwood.ca/media/file/collingwood-housing-incentive-pilot-program-policy or call 705-445-1030.