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Grants for Transitional Housing Refugee Families, Toronto 2025

Many refugee families arrive in Toronto with nothing but their bags and hope. Transitional housing, paired with wrap-around supports like counselling, employment help, and language classes, offers a vital springboard to stable, independent lives. Fortunately, 2025 brings a robust stack of grants you can braid together, from City of Toronto operating dollars and local and national grantmakers.

1. City of Toronto – Homelessness Prevention Grants

  • Grant size: Multi-year operating contracts (2025 – 2028)
  • Funds: Eviction prevention, housing-help, and transitional-support services (refugee families are an eligible client group)
  • Eligibility: Non-profits delivering services in Toronto
  • Window: Current agreements run to 2028; next open call expected in 2027 (monitor the Housing Secretariat page)
  • Link: City of Toronto – Homelessness Prevention

2. Toronto Rental Housing Supply Program (formerly Open Door)

3. Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) – City/Federal Cost-Share

  • Grant size: 95% reimbursement of refugee-shelter costs; community partners often subcontracted
  • Funds: Temporary shelter & transitional beds for asylum seekers
  • Eligibility: City-approved shelter providers & partner agencies
  • Window: Extra $50M allocated for FY 2025; watch City Council briefings
  • Link: 2025 Shelter & Support Services Budget PDF

4. Ontario Trillium Foundation – Capital & Resilient Communities Funds

  • Grant size: Up to $250K (Capital) or $200K (Resilient)
  • Funds: Facility retrofits, accessibility upgrades, digital systems, program rebuilds
  • Eligibility: Ontario-incorporated non-profits & charities
  • Windows:
    • Seed: Jul 23 – Aug 20, 2025
    • Grow: Oct 8 – Nov 5, 2025
  • Link: OTF Grants

5. CMHC Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI)

  • Grant size: Forgivable capital contributions (no repayable portion)
  • Funds: New builds or conversions to permanent affordable/transitional housing for priority groups (refugee families qualify)
  • Eligibility: Municipalities, non-profits, Indigenous governments
  • Window: Next Cities & Projects streams anticipated late 2025
  • Link: CMHC Rapid Housing Initiative

6. Reaching Home – Toronto Designated Community Stream

  • Grant size: Operating & program dollars (one- to three-year)
  • Funds: Housing stability, case management, and wrap-around supports
  • Eligibility: Non-profits serving homeless or at-risk people in Toronto, including refugees
  • Window: Toronto posts annual CFPs each fall for the next fiscal year
  • Link: Via United Way Greater Toronto (Community Entity)

7. Catherine Donnelly Foundation – Housing Stream

  • Grant size: Up to $100K
  • Funds: Pilot projects and systemic solutions that expand affordable & transitional housing
  • Eligibility: Canadian charities; priority to projects tackling homelessness & refugee housing
  • Window: Portal re-opens Dec 8, 2025; deadline Feb 6, 2026
  • Link: CDF Housing

8. Home Depot Canada Foundation – Youth Opportunity Grants

  • Grant size: Up to $75K
  • Funds: Housing, prevention, and employment programs that end youth homelessness (including refugee youth)
  • Eligibility: Canadian registered charities
  • Window: Feb 17 – Mar 7, 2025
  • Link: Apply for Funding – Home Depot

9. United Way Greater Toronto – Community Program Grants

  • Grant size: Multi-year operating (three-year contracts)
  • Funds: Housing stabilization, newcomer supports, poverty reduction
  • Eligibility: GTA charities & non-profits
  • Window: Current cohort starts Apr 1, 2025; next full intake expected 2027
  • Link: United Way Greater Toronto – Announcement

10. TELUS Friendly Future Foundation – Community Board Grants

  • Grant size: Up to $20K per year
  • Funds: Tech-enabled health & education programs for youth (e.g., mental-health supports in transitional housing)
  • Eligibility: Canadian registered charities; one application per calendar year
  • Window: GTHA Board accepts proposals Jan, Mar, Jul, Sep
  • Link: TELUS Community Grants

Tips for Writing Successful Grant Applications

  1. Lead with Need & Impact
    Paint a clear picture of refugee families’ housing challenges in Ontario, then link those needs directly to the outcomes your project will deliver.

  2. Align Perfectly with the Funder’s Priorities
    Use the exact language from the RFP or guidelines. If a grantmaker emphasizes “wrap-around supports,” explicitly show how your counselling, employment, or language-learning services fit that frame.

  3. Bundle Multiple Revenue Streams
    Transitional housing often requires both capital and operating dollars. Show funders you have a braided funding plan (e.g., RHI for construction + City operating grants for services).

  4. Demonstrate Partnerships & Community Support
    Highlight collaborations with newcomer-serving agencies, settlement workers, and employers. Letters of support can tip the scales.

  5. Ground Your Budget in Reality
    Provide detailed, justified costs—especially for renovations or service staff. Break down square-footage costs, wage rates, and program-supply estimates.

  6. Embed Evaluation & Learning
    Outline simple metrics (e.g., number of refugee families transitioned to permanent housing, employment within 6 months, language-level gains) and a plan for collecting data. Funders love continuous-improvement loops.

  7. Tell a Compelling Human Story
    Pair data with narratives: a short vignette about a recent family’s journey can make funders feel the urgency and hope behind the numbers.

  8. Submit Early
    Online portals are notorious for last-minute crashes. Aim to hit “Submit” at least 48 hours before the deadline and have a colleague review for clarity, grammar, and completeness.

Combine these strategies with the opportunities above, and you’ll maximize both your funding chances and your program’s impact for newcomer families. Good luck!

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