Loan
Federal
Active
CMHC Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP)
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
Loan Range
Minimum $1M
Ongoing
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Loan
Trend
Growing
First-Timers
—
Financing share
100%
CMHC Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP) provides up to Minimum $1M; up to 100% of residential component project cost (no cap — project-sized). Provides low-cost CMHC-insured construction loans covering up to 100% of the residential component of project cost for new purpose-built rental housing, student housing, and independent seniors housing across Canada. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
Provides low-cost CMHC-insured construction loans covering up to 100% of the residential component of project cost for new purpose-built rental housing, student housing, and independent seniors housing across Canada. Part of a $55B program envelope extended to 2028-29; over $29B committed to 74,500+ new rental units as of late 2025. Minimum loan size $1M; converts to permanent MLI Select financing at project stabilization.
Eligibility Requirements
- For-profit developers, non-profit housing providers, Indigenous housing organizations, institutional investors, post-secondary educational institutions, and other levels of government
- Project must be new construction of purpose-built rental housing — standard rental, student housing, or independent seniors housing
- Project must be located in Canada with demonstrated need for additional rental supply in the market
- Minimum 5 fully self-contained rental units
- Non-residential component may not exceed 30% of total gross floor space or project cost
- Minimum loan size of $1,000,000
- Frequent Builder status available for established housing providers with multi-residential delivery track record and no CMHC defaults in past 10 years
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Minimum $1M; up to 100% of residential component project cost (no cap — project-sized)
- Type
- Loan
- Level
- Federal
- Financing share
- Up to 100% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
2/5
Difficult — significant preparation needed
Competition
3/5
Moderate competition — prepare a strong application
Difficulty
4/5
Complex — detailed documentation needed
Approval Rate
Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to qualify
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipThe ACLP is most competitive when your project targets markets with measurably low vacancy rates — CMHC explicitly prioritizes projects where rental supply shortfall is documented.
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See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it.
Rejection Pitfalls 7
- Project is not purpose-built rental — condominiums for sale are explicitly ineligible
+6 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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See what successful applicants for this program actually look like.
Evaluation Criteria
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All 7 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to secure ACLP
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 7 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 11-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 8-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 4-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what lenders look for
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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8 steps
11 docs
Application Steps
1
Engage CMHC regional specialist Before applying, contact a CMHC regional specialist to discuss project eligibility, required documentation, and Frequent Builder status eligibility. Specialists are available through the CMHC website.
Required Documents 11
✓ CMHC online application (via CMHC Housing Provider Portal)
✓ Project description and site plan
Eligible Expenses 7
Ineligible Expenses 5
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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The full guide for this program also covers:
- 7 more application steps
- 9 more required documents
- 7 eligible expenses
- 5 ineligible expenses
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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4 partners
Compatible Programs
CMHC MLI Select (Permanent Financing)
National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCIF)
Provincial affordable housing programs (BC Builds, Ontario MHSTCI, etc.)
Canada Infrastructure Bank housing loans
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Not-applicable Risk
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How ACLP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMHC Apartment Construction Loan Prog... | Minimum $1M | Hard | Loan | Ongoing |
| CMHC MLI Select | Mortgage loan insurance, not a... | Hard | Loan | Continuous. No... |
| Digital Technology Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Open — Call for... |
| Union Training and Innovation Program | Up to $5,000,000 | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| OCI Critical Industrial Technologies ... | up to $10,000 | Moderate | Reimbursement | Per stream — Future... |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about ACLP
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Is ACLP a grant or a loan?
It is a loan — fully repayable, but at low fixed interest rates (higher of 2.00% or CMHC 10-year rate + 1%) that are typically 0.5–1.5% below equivalent conventional construction financing.
Can a non-profit housing organization apply?
Yes. Non-profit housing providers, Indigenous housing organizations, and municipal housing corporations are all eligible alongside for-profit developers and institutional investors.
What is the Frequent Builder framework?
A streamlined track for organizations that have completed 2+ CMHC-financed multi-residential projects with no defaults in the past 10 years. Frequent Builders get faster processing and more predictable timelines.
Can I use ACLP for a condo project?
No. ACLP is exclusively for purpose-built rental housing. Condominiums for sale are explicitly ineligible.
What happens to the construction loan after the building is complete?
The construction loan converts to permanent CMHC MLI Select mortgage financing at project stabilization, eliminating refinancing risk. This guaranteed conversion is one of the program's most valuable features.
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Full Playbook: ACLP
8 steps · 11 docs · reviewer insights