HRIF FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund (HRIF) supports community efforts to measurably reduce homelessness. Funds are distributed to communities for targeted, data-informed projects that prevent homelessness or accelerate housing solutions.
HRIF is part of the federal government’s commitment to Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, as announced in Budget 2024.
An Expression of Interest (EOI) is used to assess eligibility and project suitability for HRIF. Based on EOI responses, communities may be invited to complete an application.
Who can apply for HRIF?
To be eligible for the Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund (HRIF), communities (outside Quebec1) must be:
- The Reaching Home Community Entity (CE) for the Designated Community (DC) stream, and/or the Indigenous Homelessness (IH) stream, and/or the Territorial Homelessness (TH) stream, and/or the community lead organization participating in Built for Zero – Canada (BFZ-C).
What if my organization is not the Community Entity or lead for BFZ-C?
If your organization is not the CE for for an eligible stream or community lead for BFZ-C in your community, please reach out to them to collaborate on a project.
What if the CE in my community is different than the BFZ-C lead?
If your community has both a CE for the Designated Community stream and community lead with BFZ-C, and these are not the same organization, please collaborate on one project with one organization taking the lead.
What makes a project eligible for HRIF?
Communities must be able to demonstrate:
- An improvement project aimed at reducing homelessness by increasing move-ins to housing or decreasing inflow to homelessness for the target population.
- Quality By-Name Data for their project’s targeted population(s) (confirmed by CAEH). Eligible target populations for the purposes of HRIF projects include:
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- Chronic Homelessness (including the following chronic sub-populations: single adults, youth, families, Indigenous)
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- Veteran Homelessness
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- Unsheltered Homelessness
- Communities that do not yet meet the eligibility criteria outlined above are still invited to complete the Expression of Interest. The intention of the HRIF is to support communities’ efforts to make measurable reductions in homelessness. Where eligibility criteria are not yet met, applicants are encouraged to provide context in the fields provided in the Expression of Interest. While applicants must meet eligibility to receive funding, projects that don’t yet qualify may receive support to strengthen future applications.
Note:
- CAEH will share learnings and successes from funded projects with other communities across the country. Communities with funded projects commit to sharing their learnings, outcomes, and project data with CAEH. Communities must be able and willing to share QBND with CAEH monthly (at minimum).
What if I have a project idea that can reduce all homelessness in my community?
Although the above priority populations have been identified for this round of HRIF, projects may aim to reduce All Homelessness if communities are confident in their ability to achieve measurable reductions and are able to confirm Quality By-Name Data (QBND) with CAEH for All Homelessness before application submission.
What is an improvement project aimed at reducing homelessness?
HRIF is for innovative projects that aim to reduce homelessness by increasing outflow to housing or decreasing inflow into homelessness. Communities are encouraged to lead projects that:
- set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART) aims,
- use data to drive project design and measure outcomes, support identification and/or solutions of system inequities,
- follow short, iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles,
- are innovative in their community or across approaches to reduce homelessness, and,
- present opportunities to share findings to spread reductions across the country.
How much funding is available to communities through the HRIF?
Up to $4.5M will be allocated during Round 1.There will be a total of five rounds of funding over three years. The next call for expressions of interest will happen over the summer of 2025.
The HRIF is meant for innovative improvement projects that go beyond the delivery of “status quo” programs. The HRIF is intended to provide one-time grants to obtain “proof of concept” for chosen projects. Applicants should consider the sustainability of projects beyond the project end.
How will projects be selected for funding?
- Expressions of Interest will first be screened to ensure all eligibility criteria are met. Projects that meet the criteria will be invited to submit an application.
- CAEH Improvement Advisors will work with successful EOI proponents to develop a full application.
- Applications will be scored by a screening panel.
- Applications will be reviewed by a committee including representatives from CAEH, the National Indigenous Homelessness Council and outside experts who will recommend projects for approval. This committee is not involved in supporting the development of communities’ applications.
- Final approval will be made by the CAEH.
Your community’s Improvement Advisor(s) will support you in developing and strengthening your application, and may be able to provide additional context about your project to the selection committee, but will not be part of the screening or selection processes to ensure neutrality.
What is By-Name Data?
By-Name Data is real-time data of all known people experiencing homelessness in a community. It includes a robust set of data points that support coordinated access, prioritization at a household level, and an understanding of homeless inflow and outflow at a systems level. This real-time actionable data supports triage to services, system performance evaluation, and advocacy (for the policies and resources necessary to end homelessness).
By-Name Data is a subtle but important shift away from the term By-Name List – where a By-Name List was sometimes interpreted as stand-alone data. By-Name Data refers to the dynamic universe of person-specific homelessness data contained within an overall community-wide homelessness database or data system.
Further information and resources can be found on the By-Name Data page under “Resources” on the Built for Zero Canada website at www.bfzcanada.ca.
How are communities confirmed for having “Quality” By-Name Data?
The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness reviews a community’s By-Name Data Scorecard and monthly data to confirm Quality By-Name Data (BND). This includes:
- A confirmed score of 13/13 on the BND Foundations Scorecard Version 4.0, supported by:
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- A completed BND Scorecard notes column
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- A completed Outreach Coverage and Coordination Tool
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- A completed System Map
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- A review of relevant policies and documents
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- A review of the community’s anonymized BND and demonstration of how aggregate BND points are extracted
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- A HIFIS Health Check (if applicable)
- At least three consecutive months of complete BND where the last 3 months are reliable within a 5% margin of error
- Setting a baseline month from which to measure reductions
Note: Communities that confirmed by QBND with CAEH under Scorecard Version 3.0 will continue to have their milestone recognized by CAEH to October 31, 2025.
What is the By-Name Data Scorecard?
The By-Name Data (BND) Scorecard sets out a framework with 13 key elements for building the necessary data management and systems coordination practices to understand the movement of everyone experiencing homelessness in your community (those identified and consenting).
The BND Scorecard is part of the Scorecards and Tools Workbook Version 4.0, released November 2024. For an overview, see the Scorecards and Tools Workbook 4.0 Launch (Recording and PDF), or review the By-Name Data Scorecard Guide.
*Communities participating in Built for Zero Canada can access community-specific Scorecards in their Change Package.
How can my community be confirmed for having Quality By-Name Data (BND) on the project’s target population?
The Scorecard addresses the components of quality data for all homelessness generally, with additional elements related to certain populations, including Veterans and those experiencing chronic and unsheltered homelessness.
In addition to the items noted under “How are communities confirmed for having ‘Quality’ By-Name Data”, a community must complete the Scorecard elements relevant to each population to be confirmed as having Quality BND for that population:
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Population |
Requirements to Confirm |
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Chronic homelessness |
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Veteran homelessness |
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Unsheltered homelessness |
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All homelessness |
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* Communities that were confirmed by CAEH for Quality By-Name Data (BND) using Scorecard Version 3.0 will continue to have their milestone recognized by CAEH to October 31, 2025. Beyond that date, communities will need to reconfirm under Version 4.0.
What is considered “chronic homelessness” for the purposes of the HRIF?
HRIF projects that aim to reduce chronic homelessness must adopt the federal (Reaching Home) definition of chronic homelessness.
What is considered “Veteran homelessness” for the purposes of the HRIF?
Built for Zero Canada has aligned its veteran definition with Veteran Affairs Canada. According to Veterans Affairs Canada, a Veteran includes any former member of the Canadian Armed Forces along with former members of an Allied Forces (e.g., U.S./U.K veteran), former members of the RCMP, former Reservists, Veteran Civilians, and former Canadian Rangers.
A Veteran experiencing homelessness includes those who do not have stable, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means, and ability of acquiring it (paraphrased from COH and the Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy).
What is considered “unsheltered homelessness” for the purposes of the HRIF?
As part of confirming Quality By-Name Data on unsheltered homelessness, communities must already have a written, shared local definition.
What if my community does not yet have Quality By-Name Data?
The intention of the HRIF is to support communities’ efforts to make measurable reductions in homelessness. Communities that have not yet been confirmed for Quality By-Name Data are still invited to complete the Expression of Interest. Where eligibility criteria are not yet met, applicants are encouraged to provide context in the Expression of Interest. While applicants must meet eligibility to receive funding, projects that don’t yet qualify may receive support to strengthen future applications.
What can I do if I am not invited to apply following my EOI submission?
Below are some actions to support your eligibility for the next round of the HRIF:
- Reach out to your Improvement Advisor
- Connect with the eligible organization(s) in your community to assess potential for collaboration.
- Confirm Quality By-Name Data with the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness for your project’s target population
- Identify a clear aim to increase outflow to housing or reduce homelessness inflow for your project’s target population
Can my project target more than one population?
Yes, projects may target more than one population. Communities will be asked to specify the target population(s) of your improvement project as part of the Expression of Interest.
What is meant by “increasing move-ins” and “decreasing inflow” in terms of the project aim?
CAEH uses six data points to measure inflows and outflows to and from homelessness:
- Actively Homeless: The total number of people experiencing homelessness at the end of the reporting month.
- Move-Ins: The total number of people who moved in to permanent housing during the reporting month AND remain housed at the end of the reporting month.
- Returned from Housing: The total number of people who were previously reported as a ‘move-in’, lost their housing, and returned to active homelessness.
- Newly Identified: The total number of people who were added to the By-Name Data for the first time during the reporting month.
- Aged In: Individuals who are ‘active homeless’ on the BND and have met the definition of ‘chronic’ for the first time during the reporting month. (Note: This data point is only for communities tracking chronic data.)
Refer to the CAEH Data Reliability Tool for additional information.
Note: HRIF supports projects aimed at reducing homelessness by increasing move-ins, or by decreasing any of the above inflow data points. Projects targeting system improvements to either Moves to Inactive or Returns from Inactive are not eligible, and as such, those data points have not been included above.
Can my project target more than one inflow or outflow data point?
Only pick only one data point per project. If your project aims to address more than one data point through the same intervention or change, pick the data point that it primarily aims to address.
Can I apply more than once for two separate projects?
While future rounds may allow applicants to apply more than once for separate projects, please apply for only one project at this time. Select the project that you believe will make the most impact in reducing homelessness.
Where can I apply for HRIF?
Applying for HRIF is invitation-only at this time, based on assessment of your Expression of Interest. All those who expressed interest will be contacted advising of their status.
When will I know if I’ve been invited to apply?
Those who submitted an Expression of Interest will be notified if they’ve been invited to apply for the first round of HRIF by March 28, 2025.
When will I be able to express interest or apply for the next round of HRIF?
CAEH will start the next HRIF call in Summer 2025, incorporating the learnings from the first round of HRIF. Visit the HRIF webpage for updated information.
If I am unsuccessful in the first round of funding, can I apply again for the second round?
Our aim is to have as many projects as possible reducing homelessness across the country. Proponents who are not invited to submit a full application in this round may be invited to submit a full application in subsequent rounds and offered support from CAEH to develop their improvement idea or meet eligibility requirements.
Where can I learn more about HRIF?
The following information sessions provide answers to frequently asked questions, including details on how to apply, important dates, and eligibility requirements:
English: March 10, 2025 at 12:00PM EST, Register here
French: March 11, 2025 at 12:00PM EST, Register here
Recordings of the information sessions will be made available.
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1 Organizations in Quebec are not eligible to apply for the Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada will collaborate with the Government of Quebec to put in place this funding in recognition of the jurisdictions and priorities of both governments in the prevention and reduction of homelessness. Questions can be directed to Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada at: reachinghomeinfo-infoversunchezsoi@infc.gc.ca.