Bringing together philanthropy, social finance, community investment and new cross-sector partnerships to help more affordable housing projects move forward. Through SEF, ECF is committing $20 million in financing alongside more than $1 million annually in grants, to help housing projects move from planning to completion.

 

Building a better financing system for affordable housing in Edmonton

The approach is built on coordinated financing options that connect organizations with the right type of capital at the right stage of development — from early concept through to construction completion.

  • Grants for feasibility and pre-development work
  • Flexible financing for pre-development, bridge and construction stages
  • Program-related and impact investments to catalyze new partnerships and models
  • Community bonds to attract local impact investment
  • Ongoing fundraising and partnership development to sustain long-term capital

 

Bringing new partners and capital into housing

As Edmonton’s largest non-governmental funder of the charitable sector, ECF is uniquely positioned to bring together organizations that do not typically work together, including nonprofits, developers, governments, philanthropists and impact investors, and connect them to housing projects that need support.

Alongside the $20 million commitment, we aim to attract up to $10 million in additional community-based investment through collaborative fundraising and future community bond opportunities.

The goal is to create new pathways for more projects to move forward while building a stronger, more sustainable housing system for Edmonton.

“This approach helps remove early barriers that can stall projects for years. It allows organizations like ours to move forward with the urgency our communities need.”
— Keri Cardinal, CEO, NiGiNan Housing Ventures

 

 

Be part of what’s next.

Whether you’re building housing, funding it, investing in it or simply committed to seeing more of it in Edmonton, there is a role for you in this work. Sign up to stay informed as the initiative grows, including upcoming community bond opportunities and news from the projects we’re supporting.

ECF and SEF will be discussing this initiative at the 2026 Prairies Affordable Housing Summit, May 11–14, where housing organizations, governments and industry leaders will gather to explore long-term housing solutions.

“We want to support organizations that have housing expertise through new funding options that will move more projects forward, quicker. We also want to help build a stronger system for delivering affordable housing over the long-term.”
— Tina Thomas, CEO, ECF

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Learn more about the Social Enterprise Fund