HALIFAX, NS, July 17, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, announced the dates for a new intake for applications through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program.
This will be the third intake under the Program, which sees the federal government invest in retrofits, repairs, and upgrades to existing community buildings – making them greener and more accessible – as well as the construction of new publicly accessible ones in underserved communities.
Examples of these buildings from earlier rounds of funding include cultural and recreation centres, libraries, and Indigenous lodges for elders in their communities. From places like Science World in Vancouver, the Sports Complex in Whitby, to spaces like the deCoste Centre in Pictou – investments through this fund ensure that Canadians can keep enjoying their communities at energy-efficient and modern facilities.
The online application portal will be open on August 1, 2024, for small and medium retrofit projects, and on September 4, 2024, for large retrofit projects and new builds. Both intake streams will close on October 16, 2024, at 3:00 p.m., ET.
The federal government recognizes the importance of community spaces and remains committed to strengthening and revitalizing Canadian communities, ensuring we remain connected through common interest and shared spaces.
Quotes
"Community buildings are invaluable parts of our societies. They bring people together, they help us learn, they help us stay healthy – they make communities whole. Through this intake we will be able to support more of them, while helping build new ones as well.
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Quick facts
- A "small and medium retrofit" is defined as those projects with eligible costs ranging from $100,000 to $2,999,999, while "large retrofit projects and new builds" have eligible costs which range from $3 million to $25 million.
- Eligible applicants include provincial, territorial, and local governments, not-for-profit and Indigenous organizations, as well as applicants who were unsuccessful under previous intakes.
- The GICB Program aims to improve the places Canadians work, learn, play, live and come together by cutting pollution, reducing costs, and supporting thousands of jobs. Through green and other upgrades to existing public community buildings and new builds in underserved communities, the GICB program helps ensure community facilities are inclusive, accessible, and have a long service life, while also helping Canada move towards its net-zero objectives by 2050.
- The Program was created in support of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. It is supporting the Plan's first pillar through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the increase of energy efficiency, and helping develop higher resilience to climate change.
- The Program launched in 2021 with an initial investment of $1.5 billion over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs and upgrades of existing community buildings and the construction of new publicly-accessible community buildings. Budget 2024 committed an additional $500 million to support more projects until March 2029.
- The Program aims to have at least 10 percent of funding allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres.
- To date, the federal government has allocated $1.5 billion of which 196 projects representing over $1.16 billion have been announced.
Associated links
Green and Inclusive Community Buildings
Strengthened Climate Plan
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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Micaal Ahmed, Communications Manager, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, 343-598-3920, [email protected]; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]
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