Creating inclusive energy retrofit programs
A guide for Canadian municipalities and partners
HOME ENERGY AND RESILIENCE UPGRADES
Strengthen communities by integrating equity principles into local programs
Start learning todayAbout this guide
The Integrating Equity Principles Within Community Efficiency Financing Programs: A Guide for Canadian Municipalities and Partners is designed to help municipalities create home energy retrofit financing programs that work for everyone. Developed as part of the Green Municipal Fund's (GMF) Community Efficiency Financing (CEF) initiative, this guide provides practical tools and strategies to make energy efficiency programs more accessible, fair and impactful.
Why inclusion matters
Energy efficiency programs have the power to reduce energy costs, improve home comfort and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Yet not everyone has been able to access these benefits. Barriers like upfront costs, language differences and a lack of awareness often exclude those who need these programs the most.
This guide is built on the principle that fairness doesn’t mean treating everyone the same—it means recognizing people’s unique starting points and equipping them with the tools they need to succeed. By adopting this approach, municipalities can create programs that:
- Help more households participate in energy retrofits
- Reduce energy costs for those who need it most
- Build healthier, more resilient communities
By addressing these challenges and designing inclusive programs, municipalities can ensure energy efficiency benefits reach everyone in their communities.
What you’ll find in the guide
- Clear steps to success: Learn how to incorporate inclusive practices at every stage of your program, from planning to evaluation.
- Tools to remove barriers: Explore ways to make your programs more accessible, whether by reducing financial risks, tailoring outreach efforts, or offering targeted supports.
- Real-life examples: See how other municipalities, like Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, are leading the way with programs that prioritize community needs and deliver real results.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for municipalities, local governments and their partners involved in home energy retrofit financing. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your approach, this resource will help you design programs that create meaningful change and reach more people.
Get started
Making your energy retrofit program more inclusive doesn’t require overhauling everything at once. This guide offers practical actions you can take, no matter where your community is on its journey. Even small steps can make a big difference.
Related Resources
See All
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Rossland Yards: Building stability and a sense of home
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Aspen Heights: Finding stability and comfort in Saskatoon
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Aspen Heights: A comfortable home for a sustainable future
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Priscilla's Place: Peace of mind and a place to call home in Banff
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Priscilla's Place: A bright place to call home in Banff
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Priscilla's Place: A place to breathe and belong in Banff
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
How energy-efficient affordable housing is improving the lives of Canadians: Article series
Discover the inspiring stories of six Canadians who are living comfortably and saving money thanks to energy-efficient affordable housing supported by GMF's Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) initiative.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Small towns, big impacts: GMF in small and rural communities
Success stories and resources to inspire your next sustainability project in small and rural communities.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Supporting local success stories across the Canadian Prairies
Discover how GMF funding is helping communities with unique local contexts reach their economic, social and climate goals.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Webinar recording: Building for the future with better community housing
Watch the discussion to learn about an award-winning sustainable affordable housing project.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Webinar recording: How housing providers can help residents during energy retrofits
Watch the discussion on how to take advantage of the Housing Providers’ Toolkit.
Local energy generation
Energy
Webinar recording: New GMF funding and support to accelerate community energy systems
Watch our webinar to explore GMF’s new funded learning offer: Accelerating Community Energy Systems. Discover best practices, funding insights and strategies for your municipality.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy | Housing
Unlocking the potential of PACE financing: A comprehensive report on Canadian legislation
Read our informative report to discover an overview of PACE legislation in Canada and learn how a PACE initiative can benefit your community.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Aspen Heights: Redefining affordable housing in Saskatoon
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Heartland Housing Foundation: Building a sustainable future in Fort Saskatchewan
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Building a better future: CABN’s net-zero affordable housing pilot
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Pine Tree Park: Transforming affordable housing with energy efficiency and solar power
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Rossland Yards: Transforming affordable housing in Rossland, BC
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
YWCA Banff: Building stability and community through affordable housing
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Transforming communities with Sustainable Affordable Housing: Article series
In a series of six articles, we highlight impactful projects funded by GMF's Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) initiative, demonstrating how energy-efficient, community-centered housing can foster resilience and well-being.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Regional Energy Coach list
Get in touch with a Regional Energy Coach in your region and start your energy efficiency journey
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: Accelerate your community’s net-zero transformation with new GMF funding
Watch our webinar to discover how GMF’s new funding can help you upgrade infrastructure and reduce local GHG emissions.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Webinar recording: The real impact of home-energy efficiency financing
Watch our webinar to discover how you can achieve your climate goals by implementing a home-energy efficiency financing program in your community
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Project cash flow calculator
Our energy project calculator is designed to aid housing providers in quantifying the associated costs of sustainable, affordable housing projects. Use the calculator to understand the viability of a potential project and make informed decisions.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Funders list for sustainable affordable housing
Access additional funding sources from across Canada to support your next affordable housing project.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Toolkit: Navigating energy-efficient affordable housing projects
Discover a toolkit designed for affordable housing providers aiming to prioritize energy efficiency. This toolkit offers insights into the benefits of energy-efficient housing, addresses unique challenges, and provides practical tools to identify solutions.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: How to start reducing GHG emissions in community buildings
Watch the discussion on how to create a GHG reduction pathway for community buildings.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: How to get a project started, tips for small francophone communities
If you’re a small francophone municipality looking to develop sustainability projects and access funding, watch this webinar to learn how others overcame common challenges.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Video: Durham Region, ON launches novel financing model
A video showcasing innovative and accessible financing options for home-energy upgrades.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Community Efficiency Financing market guide
Guide to help Canadian municipalities assess potential home energy upgrade programs
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Affordable housing providers’ impact on energy poverty
The webinar will feature a housing project helping moderate income households while achieving high environmental standards.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Understanding energy efficiency: A guide for affordable housing providers
This guide is for affordable housing providers, such as municipalities or housing cooperatives, interested in improving energy efficiency in their buildings.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Resource library: Community Buildings Retrofit
Find practical case studies and guidance for planning your local community building retrofit.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Webinar recording: Introduction to local home-energy financing programs
Learn the basics on delivering local financing programs for home-energy upgrades.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Video: Saskatoon delivers Saskatchewan’s first local home-energy financing program
Learn how the City of Saskatoon designed its Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) to help residents retrofit their homes and reduce GHG emissions.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy | Housing
Video: Nelson scales up local program to support home-energy upgrades
In this video, Carmen Proctor, Climate & Energy Manager at the City of Nelson, tells the story of the program’s success to date, shares key lessons learned from running the program, and highlights their next steps to scale up the program.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Asset management and energy conservation
Learn how the non-profit housing sector can integrate energy management into asset management to reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Resources: Community Efficiency Financing
Read guidebooks and case studies to see how municipalities are designing home upgrade financing programs.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Video: Kingston supports homeowners with financing program for energy upgrades
Hear from Julie Salter-Keane, Manager of Climate Leadership at the City of Kingston, as she discusses the City’s program implementation and their approach to designing a strong local program.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Video: 5 keys for sustainable social housing success
This video walks through the key sections of a successful business case: Needs Assessment, Organizational Readiness, Project Vision and Financials.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Video: New municipal financing program removes barriers to energy-efficiency upgrades for homeowners
Marie-Pierre Paquette discusses how the municipalities of Plessisville, Varennes and Verchères banded together to launch a joint pilot project that would bring energy-efficient home renovations within reach for more homeowners.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Video: Introduction to home energy upgrade programs
Watch this video to learn more about home energy upgrade programs and how they can help municipalities to tackle climate change, save money, and invest in the local economy.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Resources: Sustainable Affordable Housing
Learn how to retrofit existing housing for energy-efficiency and plan new builds for higher performance.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Video: New municipal financing program removes barriers to energy-efficiency upgrades for homeowners
Marie-Pierre Paquette discusses how the municipalities of Plessisville, Varennes and Verchères banded together to launch a joint pilot project that would bring energy-efficient home renovations within reach for more homeowners.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Take your project from study to capital
Watch this webinar recording and discover how others have successfully converted studies into a capital project that provides social, economic and environmental benefits.
Energy
Webinar recording: The 5 keys to a green municipal project business case
Watch this webinar recording and discover the five critical focus areas you need to address to get your project started, from financing and partnerships to integrating a triple-bottom-line approach.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Video: 1,500 Toronto residents benefit from retrofit initiative
Bryan Purcell, of The Atmospheric Fund, tells the story of how an initiative to perform energy efficiency retrofits of 7 community housing buildings in Toronto achieved so much more.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Making affordable housing sustainable
Watch this webinar recording to learn about the various forms of grant, loan and capacity building support we offer to help you retrofit existing units or build new ones.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Webinar recording: How to create an efficiency financing program for your community
An overview of the funding options, eligibility and application details of GMF’s Community Efficiency Financing program.
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy
Factsheets: Community Efficiency Financing
Learn how to design, deliver and market a home upgrade financing program for your community.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Factsheets: Sustainable Affordable Housing
Learn how to retrofit existing housing for energy-efficiency and plan new builds for higher performance.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Apply for GMF’s Sustainable Affordable Housing funding
Watch this joint webinar hosted by the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA to learn how to apply for FCM’s newest funding initiative – Sustainable Affordable Housing.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recordings: Best practices in municipal sustainability
How are cities and communities of all sizes tackling their environmental challenges? Find out from our five-part webinar series on innovations and opportunities in municipal energy, waste, water, transportation and land use initiatives.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: How to prepare a GMF capital project application
Need advice for preparing your GMF capital project funding application? Watch our webinar recording to hear tips from our staff and find out what reviewers are looking for.
Related Projects
See All
Home energy and resilience upgrades
Energy | Housing