These grants are designed to encourage homeowners to make energy-efficient upgrades, which not only reduce utility bills but also contribute to environmental sustainability.
From upgrading your kitchen to installing energy-efficient windows, these projects often require substantial financial resources. Here's why you should consider taking advantage of grants for home improvement:
Financial Assistance: One of the most apparent benefits of home improvement grants is financial assistance. This could mean the difference between being able to complete your project now or having to save up for several years.
Increase Property Value: Investing in home improvements can increase the value of your property. Whether you're planning on selling your home soon or staying for many years, it's always beneficial to increase your property's value. Energy-efficient upgrades, in particular, are attractive to potential buyers and can significantly boost your home's market price.
Improve Energy Efficiency: Many home improvement grants are geared towards energy efficiency. By taking advantage of these grants, you can reduce your home's energy consumption, leading to lower utility bills. In the long run, these savings can add up to be quite substantial.
Enhance Comfort and Livability: Home improvements aren't just about financial considerations; they're also about improving your quality of life. Upgrades to your home can enhance comfort, safety, and convenience, making your home a more enjoyable place to live, while contributing to environmental sustainability, all while receiving financial aid to offset the costs.
With that in mind, here are some Canadian grant programs for which your home may qualify.
Canada Greener Homes Initiative
The Canada Greener Homes Initiative is a massive investment program that aims to help Canadian homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their energy bills. It provides homeowners with various resources, including access to EnerGuide evaluations, expert advice on home retrofits, and a list of eligible home retrofit upgrades.
Under this initiative, homeowners can receive grants to cover the costs of energy-efficient upgrades, such as insulation, air-sealing, window and door replacements, heating and cooling systems, solar panels, and more.
The initiative is multi-pronged and includes several grant programs, (two of which are further described below). The program is also designed for job creation, as energy advisors are needed to help homeowners with the evaluations.
Canada Greener Homes Grant (under the Greener Home Initiative)
The Canada Greener Homes Grant is an excellent program under the Canada Greener Homes Initiative. This grant offers up to $5,000 to help homeowners make energy-efficient retrofits to their homes. This includes the cost of an EnerGuide evaluation, which helps homeowners identify the most effective ways to improve energy efficiency in their homes.
To be eligible for this grant, homeowners must follow a specific process that includes registering and getting a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation, completing at least one retrofit that is both eligible and recommended by your energy advisor in their report, and finally, getting a post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation to measure the difference.
Canada Greener Affordable Housing (under the Greener Home Initiative)
The Canada Greener Affordable Housing program is designed to make affordable housing more energy efficient. The program aims to decrease energy use in new and existing affordable housing, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the quality of life for residents.
Under this program, funding is available for energy efficiency retrofits in existing affordable housing, or for the construction of new energy-efficient affordable housing units.
Sharp Grant (Alberta)
The Seniors Home Adaptation and Repair Program (SHARP) is a grant program available to senior homeowners in Alberta. This program is designed to help seniors with low income who do not qualify for a SHARP loan to finance certain home repairs.
To be eligible for this grant, you must meet the following criteria:
- You or your spouse/partner is 65 years of age or older.
- You are a Canadian citizen or have been lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence.
- You have resided in Alberta for at least three months.
- Your income falls below the SHARP grant income thresholds.
- You are receiving or have applied for all other eligible seniors' financial assistance.
Your property can qualify for a grant if it is your primary residence. However, second homes, rental properties, and commercial properties are not eligible.
The types of home repairs considered under the SHARP grant are basic and essential repairs; renovations or upgrades are not included. The cost of the home repair must be $500 or more, and multiple repairs can be combined to reach this minimum.
The maximum assistance provided per household is $5,000 per benefit year and $15,000 in a lifetime.
Application for the SHARP grant involves reading the information guide, completing and signing the application form, and submitting your application along with any supporting documents.
Once your application is reviewed, you will receive written notification of your eligibility. If a loan is approved, you are not eligible for a grant. If the maximum grant amount covers part of the cost of your repair, you are responsible for the remaining amount, and confirmation that you are able to pay may be requested.
Learn more here: www.alberta.ca/sharp-grant.
Improve Your Home with a Grant
Grants provide a fantastic opportunity for homeowners to upgrade their homes while easing the financial burden. Whether you're aiming to enhance your home's energy efficiency, boost its market value, or simply make it more comfortable and livable, these grants can be an invaluable resource. By taking advantage of programs like the Canada Greener Homes Initiative, the SHARP grant, and others, you're not only benefiting yourself but also contributing to broader environmental sustainability efforts. So, consider these opportunities as you plan your next home improvement project. With a bit of research and planning, you could significantly reduce your costs and create a more efficient, comfortable, and valuable home.
This article was written for the Airdrie House & Home feature, brought to you by Great West Media and by the Sponsors on this page. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff.
