EDMONTON — The Alberta government has introduced legislation that will enable provincially regulated banks to offer halal home financing products.
Paying and receiving interest is prohibited in the Islamic faith, which means traditional interest-based mortgages aren’t an option for many Muslims in Canada.
A few private lending firms do currently offer alternative financing plans that don’t include interest payments, but these alternatives aren’t available through any of Canada’s larger banks.
Albert Finance Minister Nate Horner says the legislation enables credit unions and ATB Financial to offer halal mortgages, but the banks won’t be required to do so.
Horner says he expects these financial institutions to develop their products in short order as the changes embodied in the legislation were sought by the industry.
There are a few different types of halal home financing, such as a program where a financial institution buys a home on behalf of a client and charges fixed monthly payments — including a profit margin — until the client’s home is paid off.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
The Canadian Press