The Government of Canada has introduced a program aimed at enhancing community planning initiatives to develop sustainable, energy-efficient communities. The $4.2 million initiative is jointly led and funded by Natural Resources Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
The EQuilibrium Communities Initiative will provide financial, technical and promotional assistance to sustainable community projects selected through a national competition that is open to developers and their team of planners, designers and municipalities.
Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of industry experts based on a number of criteria, including energy-efficiency; water, waste water and storm water; transportation and the reduction of the use of fossil fuels; natural environment; and financial viability. A call for project submissions will be issued this summer in which approximately six winning neighbourhood development projects will be chosen.
“The EQuilibrium Communities Initiative will highlight the talents and innovation of Canadian residential developers, planners, designers and municipalities as leaders in sustainable housing and community development,” said Ed Komarnicki, parliamentary secretary to Diane Finley, minister of human resources and skills development Canada and the minister responsible for CMHC. “These communities will integrate sustainable housing, infrastructure and land-use planning to help Canadians balance their housing needs with those of the natural environment.”
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The initiative is funded through CMHC’s housing research program and NRCan’s ecoEnergy Technology Initiative, which supports the development and demonstration of the next-generation clean energy technologies.
For more information on the EQuilibrium Communities initiative, visit http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca.