All Canadians deserve to have a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why the Government of Canada is introducing an innovative new tool to help middle class Canadians buy their first home.
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced the details of the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive, including the expected launch date.
Starting on September 2, 2019, the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive will help middle class families take their first steps towards homeownership by reducing monthly mortgage payments required for first-time homebuyers without increasing the amount they need to save for a downpayment. This program complements other measures taken in Budget 2019 to support first time homebuyers with their downpayment such as increased RRSP withdrawal limit from $25,000 to $35,000 The Government of Canada has allocated $1.25 billion over three years (starting in 2019) for this program. The incentive will be available to first-time homebuyers with qualified annual household incomes up to $120,000.
Budget 2019 also previewed the Shared Equity Mortgage Provider Fund, a five-year, $100-million lending fund to assist providers of shared equity mortgages to help eligible Canadians achieve affordable homeownership. This will support an alternative homeownership model targeted at first-time homebuyers, help attract new providers of shared equity mortgages and encourage additional housing supply. The fund will be launched on July 31st, 2019, and will be administered by CMHC.
Quick Facts about the Shared Equity Mortgage Provider fund program:
- The Shared Equity Mortgage Provider (SEMP) fund program will assist providers of shared equity mortgages in helping eligible Canadians achieve affordable homeownership.
- The SEMP fund program is a 5-year program scheduled to launch on July 31, 2019.
- The program will offer eligible proponents loans from two possible funding streams: Pre-construction (stream 1) and Direct Shared Equity Mortgages (stream 2)
- Stream 1 is for pre-construction costs to commence new housing projects that provide shared equity mortgages to home purchasers.
- Stream 2 is for funding of shared equity mortgages provided by the proponent directly to home purchasers.
- Visit here for further Shared Equity Mortgage Provider Fund program details including information about eligibility and criteria.
Excerpts from https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/media-newsroom/news-releases/2019/federal-government-makes-easier-for-middle-class-canadians-buy-first-home-toronto
