Build Communities Strong Fund Community stream for municipalities
The Build Communities Strong Fund Community stream provides funding for municipal infrastructure and capacity-building projects. Municipalities receive 2 annual allocation payments that they can use towards eligible projects.
The Build Communities Strong Fund Community stream (previously known as the Canada Community-Building Fund) provides funding for municipal infrastructure and capacity-building projects that support housing development, economic growth, community resilience and advance Canada’s net-zero goals.
The Department of Municipal Affairs administers the Build Communities Strong Fund Community stream Administrative Agreement and distributes allocation payments to municipalities.
Funding calculation
The Department of Municipal Affairs calculates municipal allocation payments using the Build Communities Strong Fund Community stream formula.
Eligible projects
Eligible projects include infrastructure investments (construction, renewal or material enhancement) in the following categories:
- local roads and bridges – roads, bridges and active transportation infrastructure
- highways – highway infrastructure
- short-sea shipping – infrastructure related to the movement of cargo and passengers around the coast and on inland waterways, without directly crossing an ocean
- short-line rail – railway-related infrastructure for carrying passengers or freight
- regional and local airports – airport-related infrastructure (excludes the National Airport System)
- broadband connectivity – infrastructure that provides internet access to residents, businesses and institutions in Canadian communities
- public transit – infrastructure that supports a shared passenger transport system which is available for public use
- drinking water – infrastructure that supports drinking water conservation, collection, treatment and distribution systems
- wastewater – infrastructure that supports wastewater and storm water collection, treatment and management systems
- solid waste – infrastructure that supports solid waste management systems including the collection, diversion and disposal of recyclables, compostable materials and garbage
- community energy systems – infrastructure that generates or increases the efficient usage of energy
- brownfield redevelopment – remediation or decontamination and redevelopment of a brownfield site (land that was previously developed but is not currently in use) within municipal boundaries, where the redevelopment includes:
- construction of public infrastructure as identified in the context of any other category under the Build Communities Strong Fund Community stream
- construction of municipal use public parks and publicly-owned social housing
- sport infrastructure – amateur sport infrastructure (excludes facilities like arenas, that would be used as the home of professional sports teams or major junior hockey teams)
- recreational infrastructure – recreational facilities or networks
- cultural infrastructure – infrastructure that supports arts, humanities and heritage
- tourism infrastructure – infrastructure that attracts travellers for recreation, leisure, business or other purposes
- resilience – built and natural infrastructure assets and systems that protect and strengthen the resilience of communities and withstand and sustain service through climate change, natural disasters and extreme weather events
- capacity building – investments related to strengthening the ability of municipalities to develop long-term planning practices (like capital investment plans, integrated community sustainability plans, integrated regional plans, housing needs assessments and asset management plans)
- fire halls – fire hall and fire station infrastructure
Investments in health infrastructure (hospitals, convalescent and senior centres) are not eligible.
Municipalities can pool, bank and borrow against their Build Communities Strong Fund Community stream allocation for eligible projects.
Accessing the funding
Municipalities don’t apply for the Build Communities Strong Fund Community stream. The Department of Municipal Affairs calculates the allocation payments annually and distributes the funding to each municipality in 2 transfer payments. Municipalities need to meet reporting requirements and complete an annual program audit to receive the transfer payments.
Reporting requirements
Municipalities need to submit reporting each year, including a pre-construction report, expenditure report and 5-year capital investment plan. Municipalities use the Municipal Reporting System to submit the reporting.