3 Strategies to Hit 100 Points on Your MLI Select Project
Why 100 Points Is the Target
At 100 points, you unlock every benefit MLI Select offers: 95% loan-to-value, 50-year amortization, limited recourse, discretionary reserves, and a 30% discount on your insurance premium. The difference between 70 points and 100 points on a $10M deal can be hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.
Since the June 2024 rule change, energy efficiency alone maxes out at 50 points. You need a combination strategy. Here are three proven paths to 100.
Strategy 1: Affordability + Energy (The Classic)
Affordability: 50 points + Energy: 50 points = 100
This is the most common combination. You commit to renting a portion of your units at or below 30% of the area median renter income, earning up to 50 affordability points. Then you design or retrofit your building to achieve at least a 25% energy performance improvement over the baseline code, earning up to 50 energy points.
Where this works best: Markets where median incomes are high relative to rents. In Calgary, for example, the affordability threshold (30% of median renter income) is approximately $1,800/month for a 2-bedroom — which is at or near market rent. You earn full affordability points with minimal rent sacrifice.
Where it's harder: Toronto and Vancouver, where market rents significantly exceed the affordability threshold. The gap between what the market will pay and what qualifies as affordable is $500-$800 per unit per month. That's real money.
Cost consideration: Energy modelling costs $5,000-$15,000. The building upgrades (high-efficiency HVAC, enhanced insulation, triple-pane windows) add to construction costs, but many of these investments pay for themselves through lower operating costs over the building's life.
Strategy 2: Heavy Affordability + Light Energy
Affordability: 70 points + Accessibility: 30 points = 100
If energy upgrades are cost-prohibitive or impractical (common in existing building retrofits), you can lean heavily into affordability and add accessibility to reach 100.
Earning 70 affordability points requires a larger commitment — more units at or below the threshold, typically with a 20-year commitment period for the bonus points. Level 2 accessibility (full accessibility under CSA B651:23 for 10%+ of units) provides 30 points.
Where this works best: Projects already targeting deep affordability, such as those partnering with municipal housing programs. If you're receiving other government incentives (development charge exemptions, infrastructure grants) that require affordability commitments, you're already partway there.
Where it's harder: High-cost markets where deep affordability commitments create significant rent gaps, and buildings where accessibility retrofits are structurally complex.
Strategy 3: The Balanced Approach
Affordability: 50 + Energy: 35 + Accessibility: 20 = 105 (capped at 100)
You don't need to max out any single category. By spreading points across all three pillars, you can reach 100 with moderate commitments in each:
- 50 affordability points: 20-30% of units at or below the threshold
- 35 energy points: 15-20% energy improvement (achievable with standard high-efficiency systems)
- 20 accessibility points: Level 1 accessibility (visitability features) for common areas and a portion of units
This approach is often the most cost-effective because you avoid the diminishing returns of pushing any single category to its maximum.
Where this works best: New construction projects where accessibility features can be designed in from the start (much cheaper than retrofitting), and where moderate energy improvements are standard practice.
How to Choose Your Strategy
Use our Score Calculator to model different combinations with your specific project parameters. Key factors to consider:
- Your market's affordability math: What's the gap between median income thresholds and market rents in your target city?
- Building type: New construction gives you more flexibility for energy and accessibility. Existing buildings may limit energy improvement options.
- Your investment horizon: Longer affordability commitments (20 years) earn bonus points but lock you in.
- Existing incentives: If you're already pursuing provincial or municipal incentives that require affordability, those same commitments may earn MLI Select points.
For a comprehensive breakdown of each scoring category, read our Scoring Deep Dive guide.
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