The Better Homes Hamilton (BHH) program is intended to provide access to low-interest, fixed-rate loans to serve as the capital required to complete the upgrades. The loan is placed on the property as a special charge and then collected the same way property taxes are collected. This allows individuals or families to qualify that may not be able to qualify for traditional financing through other financial institutions.

The key elements of the financing including:

Loan Amount: Up to a maximum of $20,000.00 per property

Interest Rate: 0% introductory rate offered for the length of the repayment term

Repayment Term: 10 to 15 years (dependent on loan amount and agreement) paid through regular property tax payments.

Homeowners are eligible to participate in the Better Homes Hamilton Program with these property types:

Single-Detached Dwelling Units

Semi-Detached Dwelling Units

Row and/or Townhome Dwelling Units

The property can be either owner occupied or can be currently rented out. Any building renovations or retrofits that require tenant displacement will not be eligible to participate in this program.

There are two other key criteria all homeowners will be required to achieve in order to be eligble for the program which includes:

1. Homeowner pays taxes and is current on tax payments (i.e. property taxes not in arrears); and
2. Homeowner is required to inform mortgage lender of participation if the property is under a mortgage.

The main purpose of the Better Homes Hamilton (BHH) program is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve the energy efficiency of the building. To support these objectives the eligible retrofits that the potential $20,000 loan can support are broken into these categories:

Assessment and Permits - The majority of required energy assessments, including pre-assessment and post-assessment and the costs associated with those will be an eligible expense. Also any building permits, if applicable, and the associated permit fees are eligible.

Building Envelope - Renovations and retrofits that improve the performance of the building envelope are important for energy efficiency. Insulation for walls, attic and basement will be eligible. Further any air-sealing and/or draft proofing expenses that reduce leaks from the house are considered eligible.

Mechanical Systems - It is expected the majority of the $20,000 will be used to cover the expenses related to upgrading old furnaces and boilers to high-efficiency Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP). This includes both cold-climate (ccASHP) and hybrid ASHP. These high efficiency ASHP can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emission while also reducing total energy costs in combination with insulation and air sealing work. For more information on Air Source Heat Pumps and list of eligible brands in Canada, visit Natural Resources Canada Air-Source Heat Pump Website

Supporting Infrastructure - Infrastructure required to install an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) such as ductwork and breaker/electrical panel upgrades are eligible under the Better Homes Hamilton program. However it is only the ductwork that is required to support the installation of the ASHP that will be eligible. The City of Hamilton wants to support “Future-proofing“ homes and therefore if a licensed electrician states the breaker/electrical panel needs to be upgraded to support an ASHP and a future Electric Vehicle, this upgrade would also be eligible under the program.