Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit - Portable Housing Benefit (COHB PHB) and Community (RGI) Housing

• Completed application and building selection form
• Identification proving the applicant and all household members have status in Canada
• Proof of all household income and assets
• Divestment Form, if you own a home or property and agree to sell it within six months of moving into an RGI/community housing unit
• Request for Special Priority Form or Request for Special Priority Form – Human Trafficking, if applying for Special Priority Status

Who is eligible?

• Households applying for Community housing, also known as Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing or social housing.
• Applicants 16 years of age or older who can live independently.
• Households where each member has eligible status in Canada.
• Households with low-to-moderate incomes.

Who is not eligible

• Households where any member does not have eligible status in Canada are not eligible.
• Households where any member has a deportation order, departure order or exclusion order under the Immigration Act are not eligible.
• Households with no income are not eligible for RGI/community housing.
• Households that owe arrears for rent or damages to any Ontario community housing unit are not eligible unless a repayment agreement is in place and being maintained.
• New Urgent Status applications are no longer being accepted as of September 25, 2024.

Eligible geographic areas

• London and Middlesex County

• A provider may refuse to offer a unit if the household does not meet the provider’s mandate or if the provider has reasonable grounds to believe the household will be unable to pay the rent.
• A provider may refuse a co-operative unit if the household is unable to accept the co-op responsibilities.
• A provider may refuse a shared living arrangement if it is not reasonable for the household to reside in shared accommodation.
• A provider may refuse if, within the past 5 years, a member of the household had a previous RGI tenancy terminated due to a serious offence and the provider has reasonable grounds to believe the household would pose a safety risk.
• Applicants who left an abusive relationship in the past 3 months or are still living with the abuser, and applicants who left a human trafficking situation in the past 3 months or are still experiencing human trafficking, may be eligible for Special Priority Status.

• Review the eligibility requirements.
• Complete the application and building selection form.
• Gather supporting documents.
• Submit your application.
• Receive a letter outlining eligibility; if your application package is incomplete, it will be returned with information about what is missing.
• Receive a housing offer.

• Incomplete applications are returned and cannot be processed until the missing information is provided.
• Once a completed application is received, the Housing Access Centre determines eligibility and sends a letter outlining the decision.
• If you disagree with eligibility, size of unit, priority category, amount of RGI payable, or eligibility for special needs housing, you may complete a Request for Internal Review form within 10 business days of receiving the eligibility decision; the review decision is processed within 10 business days and sent in writing.
• An annual update is mailed every two years to request updated information, and this information is required to remain eligible on the waitlist.
• Housing providers contact applicants by phone when they reach the top of the waitlist; you have 48 hours to respond, and if you do not accept the offer you will be removed from the centralized community housing waitlist.

• Community housing is not emergency housing.
• There is no standard wait time, and some households wait longer than 10 years.
• As of September 25, 2024, new Urgent Status applications are no longer being accepted.
• If you are experiencing homelessness, are at risk of homelessness, or are living in an unsafe situation, contact Coordinated Access at 519-661-4663.