Investors & Developers
Building for the Future with CMHC MLI Select
Better leverage, longer amortisation and lower premiums — earned by designing affordability, energy efficiency and accessibility into the project from day one.
The Programme
What MLI Select Actually Rewards
MLI Select is CMHC's multi-unit mortgage loan insurance product for rental housing. Rather than pricing purely on the numbers, it scores your project across three social-outcome areas and improves your financing terms as the score rises.
The three areas are affordability (rent held below a defined threshold for a committed period), energy efficiency (measured improvement over the reference building) and accessibility (barrier-free units and universal design features).
The catch is that points are structural. You cannot decide in month nine of construction that you would like a better energy score — the assemblies, the glazing, the mechanical and the unit mix all had to be chosen for it. That is where a builder who understands the scoring earns their fee.
Programme criteria, point thresholds and terms are set by CMHC and change from time to time. Always confirm current requirements with CMHC and your lender before relying on any figure — including the ones on this page.
Point Tiers
How Scoring Changes Your Terms
A higher score buys longer amortisation, which is what moves debt service coverage — and therefore what a project can carry.
| Score | Max loan-to-value | Max amortisation | What it takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 – 69 | Up to 95% | Up to 40 years | Entry tier. Typically a meaningful affordability commitment or a solid energy improvement on its own. |
| 70 – 99 | Up to 95% | Up to 45 years | Usually two outcome areas working together — for example affordability plus a designed energy target. |
| 100+ | Up to 95% | Up to 50 years | Deep commitment in at least one area, supported across the others. Needs design intent from the first sketch. |
Three Outcome Areas
Where the Points Come From
Affordability
Rents held below a defined threshold on a share of units, committed for a set period. The largest single lever in the scoring, and the one that most affects your pro-forma — so we model it before you commit to it.
- Unit mix designed to the threshold
- Commitment period modelled in the pro-forma
Energy Efficiency
Measured percentage improvement over the reference building for both energy use and greenhouse gas intensity. This is where construction quality decides whether the model survives verification.
- Energy modeller engaged at design stage
- Envelope built and tested to the model
Accessibility
Barrier-free and universally designed units, accessible common areas and full accessible-site certification where the project supports it. Cheapest to deliver when it is in the plan, not a retrofit.
- Accessible unit count set at design
- Circulation and entries planned barrier-free
Our Role
What We Do on an MLI Select File
We are the builder, not your lender or your broker. Here is exactly where we add value — and where we hand off.
Score the concept
Before design is locked, we map the realistic point range for your site and target unit count, and show you what each additional tier costs to reach.
Design to the target
Unit mix, assemblies, glazing, mechanical and accessible circulation are all specified against the score you have chosen to pursue.
Coordinate verification
We work alongside your energy modeller and lender so the submission package is assembled during the project, not reconstructed afterwards.
Build to the model
Envelope inspections and blower-door testing confirm the as-built matches the modelled assumptions before the wall is closed.
We are not mortgage brokers and we do not provide financing advice. Loan approval, insurance eligibility and final terms rest with CMHC and your lender. We build the project so it can qualify — you and your lender confirm that it does.
Next Step
Send Us the Site
Give us an address, a target door count and the score you are aiming at. We will come back with a realistic point range, a build cost band and a dated timeline.
If the site does not support the tier you want, we will tell you that too — before you spend money on drawings.
