Independent Living BC Program

Independent Living BC (ILBC) is a subsidized, assisted-living program that provides housing with support services to seniors and people with disabilities.

If you qualify, you could live in your own unit in an assisted living residence. The residences are located in communities across B.C. Each residence has private units, shared dining and social areas, housekeeping services, personal care services and emergency response.

Independent Living BC is a partnership between BC Housing, provincial health authorities, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and non-profit and private-market housing providers. The program’s assisted living units provide a middle option between home care and residential care, so individuals can continue to live independently.

Supportive Housing

Supportive housing is subsidized housing with on-site supports. These supports help you find and maintain housing stability.

Federal Community Housing Initiative (FCHI)

The Federal Community Housing Initiative (FCHI) is a $500 million fund to support federally administered community housing projects reaching the end of their operating agreements from past social and affordable housing programs.

The initiative has two phases:

  • FCHI-Phase 1, provided $38 million in federal funding over a two-year period.
  • FCHI-Phase 2 will provide $462 million in funding from September 1, 2020 to March 31, 2028.

The two FCHI-2 funding streams are:

  1. Rental Assistance: The rental assistance stream provides financial assistance for low-income households. Housing providers may apply for this rental support, which aims to fund the gap between 30% of an assisted household’s gross monthly income and the occupancy charge.

  2. Transitional Funding: The transitional funding stream is available to housing providers having trouble transitioning to the new program. The temporary funding will cover eligible operating costs for up to 24 months following the expiration of past federal agreements. This funding stream has a limited budget and is reserved for the most vulnerable groups, such as deep subsidy projects or urban Indigenous projects. Transitional funding is provided alongside the rental assistance stream as a separate, additional form of assistance.

    Once the transitional funding ends, housing providers will continue to receive rental assistance until the end of the FCHI-2 agreement.

Shared Equity Mortgage Providers Fund

The Shared Equity Mortgage Providers (SEMP) Fund helps eligible Canadians achieve affordable home ownership.

This $100-million lending fund supports existing shared equity mortgage providers. The Fund will also encourage additional housing supply and help attract new providers of shared equity mortgages.

The program offers eligible proponents repayable loans from one of two possible funding streams:

Preconstruction Loans - Stream 1

Funding for preconstruction cost loans to commence new housing projects.

Shared Equity Mortgages (SEM) - Stream 2

Loans to SEMPs to fund shared equity mortgages that they provide directly to first-time homebuyers.

 

Grants in Aid

Grants-in-Aid are one-time grants awarded to community non-profit organizations operating within electoral areas (Juan de Fuca, Salt Spring Island and Southern Gulf Islands).

They are one-time grants awarded to projects or activities which are beyond the scope of CRD services and represent an appropriate use of tax dollars to benefit an electoral area.

Request Community Clean-Up Assistance

The CRD Community Clean-Up Assistance Program supports groups that make visible environmental improvements to their community through organized clean-ups. It provides financial support for projects that:

  • Achieve visible environmental benefits
  • Encourage people to take environmentally responsible behaviour

The Hamber Foundation Grants

First Nations Health Authority Environmental Contaminants Program

The First Nations Health Authority: Environmental Contaminants Program (ECP) supports First Nations projects that explore the link between human health and environmental contaminants. It is intended to:

• Help First Nation communities address their environmental health concerns and support capacity development

•  Encourage community-based study of environmental health issues by integrating Indigenous ways of knowing, traditional knowledge and science

• Recognize that wellness is influenced by environmental, social, cultural and economic factors, and that Nations, family, community and land all play a part in our health

Indigenous Climate Health Action Program

FNHA’s Indigenous Climate Health Action Program (ICHAP) supports First Nations leadership in reducing climate change impacts on health. 

Climate change affects physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health in many ways. Through ICHAP, communities can strengthen their climate health resilience by working together to improve the environmental, social, cultural and economic factors that affect their health and wellness. 

Building Economic Development Capacity

In this funding stream, we will focus on supporting smaller/rural communities to build economic development capacity and support regional partnerships in economic development throughout the Southern Interior. Our goal is to:

  • Enhance the capacity of southern interior communities to fulfill their economic development aspirations and knowledge.
  • Support local and regional economic development projects within the Southern Interior.
  • Facilitate strategic partnerships and encourage collaboration between communities and economic development agencies.