One of many projects now featured on Front Door, CCOC’s next project on Presland Road in Ottawa includes 64 new homes for low- and moderate-income households.
Canadians are a generous lot, with just over five million donating as much as $12.8-billion to charities in 2023, according to Canada Revenue Agency records. Yet when it comes to giving to causes focused on homelessness and the country’s housing crisis, many Canadians simply don’t know where and how to start.
Front Door, a new national project directory from Partners for Affordable Housing, is here to show the way.
“It’s Canada’s only affordable housing project directory,” says Amy Bolt, who oversees programs at Partners, a national non-profit organization that connects public, private and philanthropic partners with community housing providers. “Front Door increases the visibility of high-potential but not-fully-financed projects. Providers list their work, funders sort by region or cause, and we help make the match.”
Built with input from community housing providers and funders, Front Door connects donors, foundations and impact investors to construction, acquisition or rental assistance projects at any stage – from early strategic planning through to operations.
“We have a development pipeline and ambitious targets, but getting to shovel-ready is expensive – it can cost almost a million dollars to get a project from idea to shovel-ready. A platform that connects us with donors and patient capital for those steps means we can move faster.
Sarah Button
Executive Director, Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation
“The idea is to showcase the amazing work that our partners are doing, and to ultimately connect affordable housing providers with funders looking to make a tangible impact,” explains Ms. Bolt. “We know there are many individuals and organizations eager to support community-driven housing solutions. Front Door makes it simple for them to turn that desire into action.”
While the housing crisis is a countrywide problem, solutions are local – and often stalled because non-profits can’t access big public dollars until a project is “shovel-ready.” But getting to that stage requires feasibility and site studies, and fully developed plans, all of which can add up to millions of dollars with no guarantee of government commitments.
“Front Door can accelerate that early work by facilitating funding to cover those associated costs,” says Sarah Button, executive director of Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC), a not-for-profit organization in Ottawa that owns and manages more than 50 rental buildings with close to 1,700 units of affordable housing.
“Directing philanthropic dollars to the hardest part – the very early costs – gets the horse to the racetrack.
Graham Cubitt
Coordinator, Hamilton is Home
CCOC plans to break ground on at least 200 new units by the end of 2026 and has targeted a 50 per cent increase in its real estate portfolio by 2034. But the big question, says Ms. Button, is how the corporation will pay for all these planned projects.
“We have a development pipeline and ambitious targets, but getting to shovel-ready is expensive – it can cost almost a million dollars to get a project from idea to shovel-ready. A platform that connects us with donors and patient capital for those steps means we can move faster.”
Graham Cubitt, who helps co-ordinate Hamilton is Home, a coalition of eight non-profit providers in Hamilton, Ont., sees Front Door as a bridge. The coalition has identified roughly 1,400 units that could be built in Hamilton if early financing hurdles were cleared.
“Everybody acknowledges the crisis, but most people don’t know how to start solving it,” says Mr. Cubitt, who is also president of Flourish, which provides real estate development services for affordable housing and social-purpose projects.
“Directing philanthropic dollars to the hardest part – the very early costs – gets the horse to the racetrack. A tool that helps fund what’s shovel-ready in each community can move the needle, and after that, public funding and conventional financing can follow.”
He acknowledges there’s work to be done to educate philanthropists and companies about how they can make an impact on the affordable housing crisis. Many Canadians still see homelessness and affordable housing shortages as problems for governments to solve, but as more and more families grapple with the costs of staying housed, philanthropy funding has become a critical part of the solution, says Mr. Cubitt.
Ms. Bolt at Partners says philanthropy dollars have already transformed key Canadian sectors such as health and education. With Front Door, donors now have a way to make a meaningful impact on affordable housing.
A call for ‘all hands on deck’ issued by partners for affordable housing
Everyone has a role to play in solving Canada’s housing crisis – from donors and developers to governments and advocates. However you get involved, you’ll help more people move into homes, faster.
Donate
Invest in solutions that last. View our funding streams to match your interests with needs, or explore Front Door, Canada’s affordable housing project directory, to direct funds toward specific regions or projects. Every dollar helps unlock more homes.
Share a project
Have a housing project that needs funding? List it in Front Door to connect with potential donors, investors and partners. You can also reach out directly to discuss your project and learn about our programs.
Join us
If you’re passionate about innovative solutions to affordable housing, we’d love to collaborate. Join our advisory council, board or team, and help shape a national movement for housing access and equity.
Partner
Corporations, foundations and community builders – partner with us to expand your impact. Become a sponsor, host an event or work with us to develop long-term initiatives that accelerate affordable housing.
Learn more at pfah.ca or contact the Front Door team at frontdoor@pfah.ca.