Applications for housing incentives will be accepted following budget deliberations in March.
- Applications for affordable housing incentives and rental acquisition & repair incentives must be submitted no later than April 30, 2025, to be considered in the first round of funding in May. Applications received between May 1 and July 31 will be considered in August.
- Applications for market housing, secondary and backyard suites, and pre-development grants may be submitted at any time following budget deliberations.
For details on all incentives and program requirements, refer to the Housing Incentives Policy in the “Related Documents” sidebar on this page.
On January 29, 2025, City Council approved amendments to the Housing Incentives Policy:
- Pilot incentives for 2025 and 2026 funded through the Housing Accelerator Fund:
- Capital grants and tax exemptions for acquisition and repair of existing rental buildings.
- Capital grants for pre-development work.
- Changes to tax exemptions for secondary and backyard suites to allow suites to be integrated in larger projects.
- Allowing capital grants and tax exemptions to be given to single-family homes with secondary and backyard suites, if part of a larger affordable rental project built by a non-profit housing provider in City Centre, North Central, or Heritage neighbourhoods.
- Other updates to improve operational effectiveness including:
- Allowing applications to be accepted with taxes, utilities, and other charges outstanding (must be paid prior to entering into funding agreement).
- Adjustments to the Design & Development Criteria Scorecard including:
- Clarifying which requirements apply to affordable rental units vs. the project overall; and
- Allowing partial points to be given for energy efficiency in excess of National Building Code requirements.
- Transition provisions allowing transfer of housing incentives agreements to new owners willing to carry out the agreement if a project is sold.
- Transition provisions allowing large projects to receive multiple funding commitments between years (older commitments must update to mor recent requirements).
Check out these fire safety tips and videos to ensure you and your tenants are fire-safe!
Incentives for New Affordable Housing
Per unit capital grants and a five-year, 100% tax exemption are available for new affordable rental and ownership housing citywide, with priority given to developments in the City Centre, North Central and Heritage neighbourhoods (the yellow and orange areas on the interactive map below). Affordable rental units must be rented at or below the Maximum Rental Rates to tenants with incomes at or below the Maximum Income Thresholds for affordable rental for at least 10 years. Affordable ownership units must be sold to purchasers with incomes at or below the Maximum Income Thresholds for affordable ownership. The City may update these rates periodically. See the “Related Documents” section for the most recently published rates.
Per unit incentives vary depending on:
- Unit type (rental or ownership);
- Status of the organization applying (non-profit or private sector); and,
- Location of the development within the city.
Incentives are also available for acquisition and repair of existing rental buildings (see below).
Incentives for New Market Housing
A five-year, 100% tax exemption is available for new market rental and ownership housing located in the City Centre, North Central and Heritage neighbourhoods (the yellow and orange areas on the interactive map below).
Incentives for Secondary and Backyard Suites
A five-year tax exemption is available for new or legalized Secondary Suites and Backyard Suites located in established areas within the City’s intensification boundary (The yellow, orange, and light blue areas on the interactive map below).
The tax exemption percentage is determined based on the number of bedrooms in both the suite and the main unit. Units that receive this incentive must be used for long-term rental purposes for the duration of the tax exemption (i.e., not an Airbnb and not for commercial or personal use).
Secondary and backyard suites may be eligible for capital grants and tax exemptions if part of a larger affordable rental project in all areas of the city.
Incentives for Acquisition and Repair of Rental Buildings
Capital grants and tax exemptions are available for the acquisition and repair of existing rental buildings for use as affordable rentals and on-site support suites. These incentives are available to non-profit housing providers city-wide. Buildings must be a minimum of 20 years old.
Projects must be completed no later than October 31, 2027, to receive funding.
Funding for this incentive is subject to funding from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. If the City is not able to use all or a portion of this funding for any reason, the City may reduce or cancel funding commitments for this incentive, or may terminate and require repayment of any payments or tax exemptions provided under this incentive.
Incentives for Pre-development Work
Capital grants are available to undertake pre-development work needed to determine the feasibility of a housing project. This includes but is not limited to site and infrastructure studies, site and building plans, energy and accessibility modelling, etc. This incentive is available to non-profit housing providers city-wide and to private developers in the City Centre, and North Central, and Heritage neighbourhoods (The yellow and orange areas on the interactive map, below).
Projects must be completed no later than October 31, 2027, to receive funding.
Funding for this incentive is subject to funding from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. If the City is not able to use all or a portion of this funding for any reason, the City may reduce or cancel funding commitments for this incentive, or may terminate and require repayment of any payments or tax exemptions provided under this incentive.
How to Apply
Applicants are encouraged to contact the City early at CHS@regina.ca to discuss project eligibility and application requirements. This ensures a smooth application process. We are happy to discuss your project and answer any questions.
You can find all application resources in the “Related Documents” section on this page. Complete the appropriate application form for your project and any additional documentation required such as the Design and Development Criteria Scorecard, Project Description Spreadsheet, Statutory Declaration, etc. Applications may be submitted prior to a development or building permit being received. If the form requires you to provide your zoning information, please refer to the City’s interactive zoning map for support. Submit the form and all required documentation to CHS@regina.ca.
Incentives are available in different areas of the city, as follows. See the interactive map below for program areas.
|
Program Area 1 |
Program Area 2 |
Program Area 3 |
Program Area 4 |
Market Rental |
Yes |
No |
||
Market Ownership |
Yes |
No |
||
New Affordable Rental |
Yes |
|||
New Affordable Ownership |
Yes (Charitable Non-profits only) |
|||
On-site Support Suites |
Yes |
|||
Acquisition & Repair |
Yes (Charitable and Membership Non-Profits only) |
|||
Pre-development Grants |
Yes |
Yes (Charitable and Membership Non-profits only) |
New Market Housing
Applications may be submitted prior to a development or building permit being received. Applications for market housing will be reviewed as they are received. Applicants will be contacted by City staff within 2 to 3 weeks of application.
New Affordable Housing
Applications may be submitted prior to a development or building permit being received. Applications must be received before July 31 to be considered for the funding year. They will be reviewed and prioritized as follows:
- Applications from non-profit organizations (all Program Areas) and from private sector developers (Program Areas 1 and 2) will be reviewed and prioritized for funding using the Design and Development Scorecard between the start of the application period and July 31.
- Applications received between the start of the application period and April 30 will be evaluated together. A maximum of $750,000 of the annual capital grant funding will be allocated to these applications.
- Applications received between May 1 and July 31 will be evaluated together, along with eligible applications received before April 30 that did not receive a funding allocation. The remainder of the annual capital grant funding can be allocated to these applications.
- Applications from private sector developers (Program Areas 3 and 4) will be evaluated and prioritized for funding using the Design and Development Scorecard after July 31, based on remaining funding available
- If funding remains available after all applications have been reviewed, the City may accept applications and award funding on a first-come basis to eligible projects up to December 31 until funding is exhausted.
Acquisition & Repair of Existing Rental Buildings
Applications must be submitted prior to a development or building permit being received. Applications must be received before July 31 to be considered for the funding year. Applications received between the start of the application period and April 30 will be evaluated in May. Applications received between May and July 31 will be evaluated in August. Funding in each application period is allocated as follows:
- First, to projects intended to address an urgent issue related to the health and safety of occupants or the public, as identified in a building condition assessment, environmental assessment, building order, community standards order, other order, or the City.
- Second, to acquisition projects, renovation projects to create new dwelling units, and major repair projects, as defined in the Housing Incentives Policy, and minor repair projects related to accessibility for existing tenants.
- Third, to minor repair projects, as defined in the Housing Incentives Policy.
- Fourth, to risk mitigation projects, as defined in the Housing Incentives Policy.
Applications for projects intended to address an urgent issue related to the health and safety of occupants or the public, as identified in a building condition assessment, environmental assessment, building order, community standards order, other order, or the City, may be considered on a first-come basis.
If funding remains after all applications have been considered, the City may accept applications and award funding on a first-come basis to eligible projects up to December 31 until funding is exhausted.
Pre-development Grants
Applications must be submitted prior to a development or building permit being applied for. Consideration may be given to applications where pre-development work is requested by the City as part of a permit application. Applications for pre-development grants will be reviewed as they are received. Applicants will be contacted by City staff within 2 to 3 weeks of application.
Interactive Map - Program Boundaries
Contact Us
Please reach out to CHS@regina.ca for questions about housing incentives.
Other Incentives
The Heritage Incentive Policy provides capital grants and tax exemptions to encourage the conservation of heritage properties in Regina.