Priority Projects for Municipalities - Request for Project Business Case

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Office of the Minister 
777 Bay Street, 17th Floor 
Toronto ON M7A 2J3 
Tel.: 416 585-7000

234-2025-5768

December 23, 2025

Kevin Burke
Board Chair
Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
kburke@msdsb.net

Dear Board Chair Burke:

RE: Priority Projects for Municipalities – Request for Project Business Case

I am writing to advise you of an opportunity to submit a priority project proposal to the ministry for consideration of funding under the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) Residual allocation.

Service Managers and Indigenous Program Administrators with priority capital projects in their respective communities should complete and submit the attached business case template for their top priority project to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) to be considered for funding. Business cases must be for construction-ready priority projects where funding can be committed within the 2025-26 fiscal year. Only projects meeting the following criteria will be considered, noting that additional program requirements may also apply:

  • Be owned by a municipality or DSSAB (directly or indirectly), a non-profit corporation, or a housing co-operative,
  • Be able to finalize a contribution agreement and provide required security in time to enable commitment within the 2025-26 fiscal year (preferably no later than March 12, 2026),
  • Be shovel-ready including access to site – able to start construction activities within 120 days of signing the contribution agreement, and
  • For proposed supportive housing projects, SMs/IPAs must specify in the business case the status and availability of funding for support services when the units come online (this information must be clearly confirmed at the time of submission).
  • Demonstrate value for money through prioritizing cost-effective projects that leverage other funding sources, provide deeper affordability, and minimize delivery risks.

Please submit your completed business case to MMAH by January 24, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. The business case must be attached to your respective COCHI-OPHI Investment Plan (IP) 2025-26 case in the Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) system.

MMAH reserves the right to allocate funding at its sole discretion based on a review and evaluation of eligible projects.

Any communication regarding additional funding must be held confidential until publicly announced by the province.

I appreciate your partnership as we work together to increase and improve the community housing stock in the province.

Sincerely,

 

Hon. Robert J. Flack
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

c. Donna Stewart, Chief Administrative Officer, Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
    Lori Clark, Director, Integrated Social Services, Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
    Cindy Couillard, Team Lead, Regional Housing Services, Municipal Services Office North (Sudbury)
    Robert Dodd, Chief of Staff, Minister’s Office, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
    Martha Greenberg, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
    Sean Fraser, Assistant Deputy Minister, Municipal and Housing Operations Division, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
    Tanisha Lewis, Director, Housing Programs Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing