The City of Ottawa and the Government of Canada declared a climate emergency in 2019. Our City is committed to accelerating local efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Homes and buildings produce almost half of the greenhouse gas emissions in Ottawa today. To meet our emissions reduction targets here in Ottawa, 98% of existing homes must undergo a deep retrofit by 2040. That is around 327,000 homes, and works out to around 20,000 per year.
Better Homes Ottawa is a one-stop for Ottawa residents to help us make our homes more energy-efficient and climate-friendly. The Better Homes Ottawa - Loan Program formally launched on November 15, 2021. Through this program, homeowners can get a zero-interest loan of up to the lesser of $125,000 or 10% of the value of their home to cover the cost of home energy improvements. For more information and resources on home retrofits, check out their website.
CAFES is a stakeholder on the Future Homes Ottawa project (under Better Homes Ottawa), a community collaboration led by EnviroCentre and the Ottawa Energy Collective to mobilize community engagement and participation in the kind of deep energy retrofits required to improve our homes and transform our neighbourhoods into the low-emissions, resilient, climate-proofed communities of the future. This project formally launched in the neighbourhoods of Carlington and Old Ottawa South in fall, 2021. For monthly project updates, subscribe to the Future Homes community member newsletter.
The Government of Canada (Natural Resources Canada) offers grants for home retrofits. Eligible homeowners in Canada, regardless of where they live, can participate. As a part of this initiative, homeowners have access to: 1) up to $600 for a home evaluation and expert advice to begin planning a retrofit, and 2) up to $5,000 total to help make energy efficiency retrofits to their home. Check out their website for more information and to register.