To participate in this program, the following eligibility criteria must be met:

  • Building must be located in the designated area from First Street, south to the waterfront, between and including Adolphus and St. Felix Streets.
  • There cannot be any back taxes or outstanding issues related to finance on the property.
  • A lien will be registered on title as a mortgage and in the first 3 years no forgiveness is earned, however, year 4 and 5 forgiveness is earned at 50% per year.
  • Should the property be sold before the 3 year period, the money will be repaid.
  • The program will be divided such that a portion will be designated for rental units and a portion for owner-occupied.
 Program Guidelines
  • Application is completed and submitted to the office for date stamp and addition to the waiting list.
  • Upon receipt of a permission to start letter, an inspection is arranged with the Property Standards Inspector of the complete interior and exterior of the building(s), and the Work Order list is established.
  • Priority, of the work list established, will be based on Health and Safety issues, and a minimum of 25% of the funds should be dedicated to outside upgrades.
  • The applicant shall obtain at least two (2) written estimates for the cost of the project broken down to labour and materials per item.
  • The program shall cover half of the material costs, once installed, should the owner complete the work themselves.
  • Each application is reviewed by the Cornwall Planning Programs Evaluation Group (CPPEG), and requires a By-Law from City Council.
  • The owner will be required to sign a Loan Agreement with the City of Cornwall, to be registered on title.
  • The owner is responsible to obtain all the necessary Building/Plumbing Permits and Fire Code issues as per the Ontario Building Code and any Electrical permits as per Ontario Hydro.
  • Please note all permits fees or Architectural/Engineer plan fees are not eligible for funding.
  • The applicant should ensure that the contractor has liability insurance, and a copy is to be provided for the file.
  • The City is not financially responsible to the contractor, the homeowner and contractor must enter into an agreement.
  • That an applicant cannot have more than two(2) active applications at one time, but one project must be fully completed before the second may be initiated.
 Owner Occupied
  • Proof of income will be requested by administration, household income to be below the Core Net Income as set by CMHC (Household of 2 - $50,000)
  • Eligible for matching funds up to $4,000 as a forgivable grant
  • These funds are targeted to upgrading the exterior of the single family dwelling
 Income Property
  • Eligible for matching funds to a maximum of $10,000 as a forgivable grant
  • These funds are targeted to upgrading the exterior of the single family dwelling
  • Property owner may not have more than 2 applications active at one time

Please ensure you have read the information provided above and understand your responsibilities for eligibility in the Renaissance Housing Renovation Program, before proceeding to the application (click here for PDF).

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Dana McLean
Development Coordinator
100 Water Street East, Box 877, Cornwall ON, K6H 5T9
T.: 613-930-2787 ext. 2105
F.: 613-933-0745
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