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Social Housing

Lower-cost housing for low-to-moderate incomes

Offered by
City of Kingston
Official source: cityofkingston.ca

Source change captured

Funding available
Varies by project
Deadline
Open continuously
Location
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Who can apply
Households with low-to-moderate incomes
See full eligibility

Overview

Social housing in Kingston and Frontenac provides lower-cost rental units or a housing allowance to households with low-to-moderate incomes. Available programs include Rent-Geared-to Income Housing and Portable Housing Benefit, supporting rent payments and housing costs.

At a glance

Funding available

Varies by project

Financing goals
  • Develop a new program or service
  • Increase social or community impact
  • Enhance an existing program
  • Improve governance or administrative structure
  • Strengthen organizational capacity
  • Ensure financial sustainability
  • Renovate or adapt facilities

Eligible candidates

Location
  • Kingston
  • Ontario
Eligible Industries
All industries
Annual revenue
All revenue ranges
Organisation size
All organization sizes
Audience
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Persons with Disabilities
  • Rural or Northern Residents
  • Canadians
  • Women
Legal structures
Non-profit
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
Social Services, Income Support and Maintenance, Housing
Target groups
Indigenous peoples, People with disabilities, Women & girls, Rural / Remote communities, Low-income individuals / families
Revenue structures
100% donations / grants
Scope
Local, Municipal, Regional

Start applying for this program

Take a practical assessment to gain a clear understanding of how well this program aligns with your specific needs and long-term goals.

Availability timeline

2026
Periods: 1

Latest changes

Social housing directives updated

Key directive text was removed from several social housing directive pages, including eligibility and household-selection rules, and one page now shows only reference and contact material.

See more

The directive pages for Restrictions from Transfer Orders for Federal Housing Programs (H-03-09) and Selection of Households for a Vacant Unit under the Cascading Age Policy (H-03-32) no longer show the substantive rule text; the visible content is now limited to reference, contact, and footer material. The Review of RGI Eligibility by Housing Providers (H-20-09) also now shows reduced content, with a Housing Programs Administrator contact line visible alongside the remaining reference material. This affects the visibility of the eligibility, household-selection, and application instructions that were previously shown on these directive pages.

Official source: cityofkingston.ca
August 17, 2026

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  • Households with low-to-moderate incomes
  • Low-income households

Who is not eligible

  • Households that refuse an offer to transfer to another unit permissible under the Service Manager's occupancy standards after a year from being notified that they are in a unit larger than permitted.

Eligible expenses

  • Rental costs in the private rental market

Eligible geographic areas

  • City of Kingston
  • County of Frontenac

Activities funded

  • Lower-cost rental units
  • Housing allowance

How to apply

  • Apply directly to the Social Housing Registry as a new applicant household if you want to be added to the Centralized Waiting List in the first twelve months.

Documents Needed

  • Verification of disability or medical condition
  • Legal documents such as a custody order, a lawyer’s letter, or an affidavit declaration

Selection criteria

  • The Housing Provider may determine if the vacancy will be offered to households on the Centralized Waiting List or the Housing Provider’s Internal Transfer List and once determined must continue to offer the unit to households on the list until the unit is accepted or the list is exhausted.
  • Special Priority households eligible for the unit are offered the vacancy in chronological order.
  • If the Housing Provider has decided to offer the unit to households on the Centralized Waiting List and the unit is not accepted by the Special Priority household, the unit may be offered to households on the Centralized Waiting List in chronological order after Special Priority.
  • Over housed will not be a priority category on the Centralized Waiting List.

Processing and Agreement

  • The Social Housing Registry shall use the prescribed Household Income Limits in determining a household’s eligibility to be placed on the Centralized Waiting List, and Housing Providers shall use the prescribed Household Income Limits to confirm eligibility for Rent-Geared-to-Income units at initial occupancy.
  • The Service Manager is required to report statistical data related to Rent-Geared-to-Income households with income below the Household Income Limits and High Needs income annually to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Additional information

  • Households are defined as all people who will be living in the same unit.
  • All providers are requested to comply with the Social Housing Directives.

Contacts

theregistry@cityofkingston.ca
613-546-2695

Official sources

Social Housing

Program guide

Determining Rent-Geared-to-Income Payable (H-20-06)Eligibility Rules for RGI Assistance (H-20-05)Household Asset Limits (H-25-02)

Application form

Additional Household Member(s) for RGI ApplicationAgreement to Sell PropertyAssets - *Please enter the current value of all assets*Housing PreferencesIncome

Supporting document

Address you are moving toAgreement to Sell PropertyNotice of Rent-Geared-to-Income CalculationSample Covering Letter
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Social Housing Program

What is the Social Housing?

Social housing in Kingston and Frontenac provides lower-cost rental units or a housing allowance to households with low-to-moderate incomes. Available programs include Rent-Geared-to Income Housing and Portable Housing Benefit, supporting rent payments and housing costs.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who is eligible for the Social Housing program?

To be eligible for the Social Housing program, you must: The household's total income is the net income of all the household members, excluding members who are in full-time attendance at a recognized educational institution. The value of the assets of the household must not exceed a specified maximum value. At least one household member must be 16 years of age or older and able to live independently, and each member must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident applicant, or a refugee claimant with no enforceable removal order.

What expenses are eligible under Social Housing?

Rental costs in the private rental market

Who can I contact for more information about the Social Housing?

You can contact City of Kingston by email at theregistry@cityofkingston.ca or by phone at 613-546-2695.

Where is the Social Housing available?

The Social Housing program is available the province of Ontario.

Who are the financial supporters of the Social Housing?

Social Housing is funded by City of Kingston