Rapid Housing Initiative

The Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is a program launched by the Canadian government in October 2020 to address the urgent need for affordable housing, especially for vulnerable populations, in Canada. The initiative had an initial budget of $1 billion, which was divided into two streams, the Major Cities Stream and the Project Stream. The Major Cities Stream provided immediate financial support to various municipalities chosen based on levels of homelessness and housing needs. The Project Stream provided assistance to projects based on applications from provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous governing bodies that faced urgent needs for affordable housing. The initiative has already created 4,700 affordable housing units in Phase 1 and is projected to create over 5,400 units in Phase 2, which has an additional budget of $1.5 billion. The RHI not only addresses the affordable housing need for vulnerable populations but also contributes to Canada's economic recovery plan by increasing employment in the housing and construction sectors.