The Ontario government is now accepting applications for funding under the Housing-Enabling Core Servicing stream of its Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program.

Up to $400 million is available through the stream for municipalities to build, maintain, and repair core assets such as municipal roads, bridges and culverts that will support the construction of new homes.

The government is allocating $120 million of the total funding to projects in small, rural and northern municipalities that do not have housing targets to better support the unique needs of these growing communities.

“Our government is working with our municipal partners to support their infrastructure needs and get more homes built across the province,” said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma. “This investment, in addition to the $970 million we are investing in water infrastructure through the first intake of the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, will help unlock more housing opportunities beyond 511,000 homes, bringing us another step forward in our historic partnership with municipalities to build the infrastructure and homes that our communities need to grow and prosper.”

Eligible projects include any road and bridge assets that enable housing infrastructure and promote growth in communities. These projects must be a net new, rehabilitation, repair, reconstruction or replacement project.

The remaining funding under the $1-billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program will help municipalities target other key infrastructure priorities, including maintaining the health and safety of local water and wastewater systems.

“We are ensuring that, even though high interest rates and global uncertainty have impacted housing starts, we are laying the groundwork for a long-term building boom as economic circumstances improve,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “We will continue to do our part to give municipalities the tools they need to build more homes faster. Whether it’s helping communities maintain roads and bridges or upgrade water and wastewater systems, our government is focused on making historic investments in infrastructure to help get shovels in the ground for new homes in Ontario.”

Earlier this month, Ontario also announced the launch of a second intake of applications under the $1.2-billion Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund.

Combined, the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund are providing municipalities with more than $1.9 billion in provincial funding for housing- and community-enabling infrastructure, as part of the province’s capital plan of over $190 billion to build critical infrastructure and support growing communities.

“Municipalities are planning for infrastructure expenditures of more than $250 billion over the next 10 years,” said Colin Best, President of the Association of Municipalities Ontario. “This funding is welcome, as it will help pave the way to increase housing supply, support growth and strengthen the economy."