Affordable Housing Eligibility

To apply for the Affordable Housing program, you must first complete and return an application form. Download form here.

For-profit Residential Rentals

• Affordable Rentals & Rooming Houses (1-3 Units) – Must meet the maximum rental rate criteria in the Prescriptive Affordable Housing Agreement.
• Affordable Rentals & Rooming Houses (4+ Units) – Must meet the maximum rental rate criteria in the Comprehensive Affordable Housing Agreement.

• Affordable Rentals, Rooming Houses and Co-operatives (1-3 Units) – Must meet the maximum rental rate criteria in the Prescriptive Affordable Housing Agreement.
• Affordable Rentals, Rooming Houses and Co-operatives (4+ Units) – Must meet the maximum rental rate criteria in the Comprehensive Affordable Housing Agreement.
• Shelters – Must offer rent-free housing.
• Transition Houses – Must offer rent-free housing.
• Non-bed facilities – Must provide support services for the low-income community. Examples include but are not restricted to: food banks, community outreach and support centres, employment and education centres and social enterprises. Eligibility is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Restrictions

• All upgrades must be preapproved by Efficiency Nova Scotia prior to installation to qualify for rebates.
• Annual energy savings are meant to offset pressures on tenant rental rates. As such, the customer will notify Efficiency Nova Scotia if average rental rates at the property are expected to increase more the Nova Scotia All-item Consumer Price Index.
• Properties not eligible for incentives include but are not limited to; military housing, long-term care facilities, health facilities, condominiums, hospitality lodging, youth camps, hostels, cottages, campgrounds, academic dormitories, and any rental housing that exceeds the eligible rental rate cut-offs.
• New construction projects are not eligible for incentives.
• For profit businesses may submit a maximum of 5 properties for comprehensive upgrades per calendar year. Efficiency Nova Scotia may allow submission of more than 5 properties per calendar year if the Applicant provides a project plan for all submissions. The plan should include a timeline with estimated installation dates for each property. The Applicant must demonstrate a good faith effort to complete the project as was originally committed. If it is found that the Applicant does not demonstrate good faith effort to fulfill these commitments Efficiency Nova Scotia may recoup audit costs from the Applicant at their discretion. Non-profit and charitable organizations are not restricted in the numbers of properties enrolled.
• For-profit affordable rental rebates are capped at a maximum of $17,944 per affordable unit (this does not apply if all the units in the building are affordable) or $300,000 per project or 80% project cost, whichever is lower.
• For-profit rooming house rebates are capped at a maximum of $5,981 per affordable room (this does not apply if all the rooms in the building are affordable) or $300,000 per project or 80% project cost, whichever is lower.
• Not-for-profit shelters and transition houses rebates are capped at a maximum of $300,000 per project or 100% of project costs, whichever is lower.
• Not-for-profit affordable rentals, rooming houses and non-bed facilities rebates are capped at a maximum of $300,000 per project or 80% of project costs, whichever is lower.

Additional Restrictions for Affordable Rentals and Co-operatives Containing 1-3 Units

• 100% of rental units must be less than or equal to the rental rate cut-offs found in the Prescriptive Affordable Housing Agreement at the time of project completion.
• The landlord or owner must be willing to commit to 6 years of affordable housing upon acceptance of rebates from Efficiency Nova Scotia, as per the Prescriptive Affordable Housing Agreement.
• Eligible upgrades include heat pumps and hot water heating only.

Additional Restrictions for Affordable Rentals and Co-operatives Containing 4+ Units

• 4 or 30% of rental units (whichever is greater) must be less than or equal to the rental rate cut-offs found in the Comprehensive Affordable Housing Agreement at the time of project completion.
• The landlord or owner must be willing to commit to 12 years of affordable housing upon acceptance of rebates from Efficiency Nova Scotia, as per the Comprehensive Affordable Housing Agreement.
• Eligible upgrades will be determined by a certified energy auditor. Efficiency Nova Scotia reserves the right to determine eligibility for rebates on a case-by-case basis.

Visit https://www.efficiencyns.ca/business/business-types/affordable-housing/ for more information about program eligibility requirements. If you are unsure about whether your building is eligible for the program, please contact an Energy Solutions Advisor by calling 1-877-999-6035.

Additional Restrictions for Mixed Use Properties

• Rental properties
  • If a rental property contains a combination of affordable and market rate rental units, market rate units may also receive upgrades. The rental property must contain a minimum of 4 units comprising at least 30% of the total units in the property rented at or below the rental thresholds established by the program (see affordable operating agreement for details).
  • If a rental property contains a combination of rental units and privately owned space and/or commercial space where no residential lease is established, privately owned/commercial space is not eligible to receive upgrades. In these cases, whole building upgrades such as insulation are not affected, while in-unit measures such as mini-split heat pumps can be affected.

• Non-profit: non-bed facilities
  • If a non-bed facility has split-use with partial space devoted to eligible services benefiting low-income communities, only space being used to perform these services are eligible for upgrades. In these cases, whole building upgrades such as insulation are not affected, while in-unit measures such as mini-split heat pumps can be affected.

• Spaces that are ineligible may be eligible for rebates through other Efficiency Nova Scotia Programming such as Small Business Energy Solutions and/or Business Energy Rebates.