As part of the City’s COVID-19 response, the Access to Housing (formerly Housing Connections) Resource Centre at 176 Elm St. is closed. Clients are encouraged to submit applications by fax, online, or by mail. Stay up-to-date on all affected City services and when they may resume by visiting toronto.ca/covid19.
Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) or subsidized housing is a housing subsidy or benefit offered by the City of Toronto to make rent affordable for households. In most cases, the rent at a subsidized unit is set to be 30 per cent of a household’s total monthly income before taxes and adjustments. If you receive social assistance the rent is based on the rent benefit set by the Ontario government.
Currently the number of people needing subsidized housing is greater than the number of units available. As a result, it can take years for an applicant to get housed. We encourage applicants to consider subsidized housing as a long-term housing plan, not an immediate solution to housing needs or emergency situations.
Access to Housing manages the waiting list for subsidized housing. Once an applicant reaches the top of the wait list and housing becomes available, housing providers (e.g. Toronto Community Housing Corporation) will contact the applicant.
Anyone may apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing as long as they meet the following criteria:
Please note that the City of Toronto will check names of the household members to make sure they don’t owe money to housing providers and/or have a conviction that is related to RGI housing.
If you own a residential property you must sell the property, or your share in it, within six months of moving into subsidized housing. If you fail to do so, you may not receive an offer of housing, or lose your subsidy.
When applying for RGI assistance, please provide your yearly income before taxes and adjustments, and the income of each member of the household who is 16 years or older. Please report this income from Line 150 of the latest Notice of Assessment (NOA) document, issued by the Canada Revenue Agency.
By reporting your income, Access to Housing can determine if there are other housing benefits and services that meet your need.
Our clients need to have income to receive RGI assistance. When you receive an offer of housing, you will be required to provide proof of your income. If you do not have income, you would be required to seek income such as Ontario Works.
Children of the household who are full-time students, at a primary or secondary school, or a post-secondary institution, do not need to report income.
Once your application is processed as eligible you will be placed on the centralized waiting list, managed by Access to Housing.
Applications are chronologically added to the centralized waiting list by their date of application (when a complete application and all supporting documents are received). Clients are served on a first-come, first-served basis, and applicants with the older application dates receive an offer of housing first.
Toronto Community Housing Corporation, private non-profit providers and federally/provincially funded co-ops use the Centralized Waiting list to house applicants. Each of these providers has a list of clients waiting for housing according to the ranking on the centralized waiting list.
There is currently a long waiting list for applicants with a chronological ranking. An applicant can expect to wait:
Wait times may vary depending on a number of factors including how many building choices an applicant selects and the location of the buildings.
There are a few groups of applicants who receive priority housing ahead of others because of their unique circumstances. These groups of clients, in order of priority ranking, include:
There are also local priority access rules benefiting the following clients:
There are accessibility and special needs accommodations available for clients of subsidized housing. Applicants may request accessible buildings (e.g., with ramps, automatic doors and doorways) if they are unable to climb stairs or use mobility devices.
Modified units are reserved for applicants who are physically disabled and in a wheelchair on a full-time basis. Modifications may vary by unit and can include features such as grab bars, lowered countertops, and wider doorframes.
For clients who require overnight care from a caregiver or in some cases require space for medical equipment, there is the option of applying for an additional bedroom.
Mandate housing providers have special requirements for people who live in their buildings, called “mandates.” For example, some mandates require that tenants be seniors, artists or member of a specific cultural community.
To apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing you must complete the RGI Housing Application in full and provide the following for all household members:
Examples of acceptable documents to prove status in Canada include:
View a full list of proof of Canadian status documents.
When you apply, please attach proof of status in Canada for yourself and all the household members you are adding to your RGI application.
You can apply online, in person or by mail. Processing time for online applications is up to 90 days, and up to 120 days for paper applications.
The easiest and fastest way to apply is to complete the online application. The following tips will help with sending a complete application:
Staff at Housing Help Centres and Access to Housing can help you with your application in person. Please see the “Need Help?” section for details.
Send your completed RGI paper application form and supporting documentation to:
Access to Housing
176 Elm Street
Toronto, ON
M5T 3M4
If you are a survivor of domestic abuse or human trafficking you can apply for the Special Priority Program.
If you are a terminally ill patient with less than two years to live, you may be eligible for priority access to subsidized housing. Your physician must verify your medical condition and life expectancy.
To request a modified unit, or an additional bedroom for an overnight caregiver or storing eligible medical equipment, you and your physician must complete a separate form.
Caregivers or home care agencies may need to submit additional forms.
To apply for mandate housing, in addition to completing an RGI application, you and the housing provider, who is providing the mandate, must fill out and submit a mandate form. The provider must sign and submit the mandate form on your behalf to Access to Housing.
Confirmation of Eligibility for Mandate
View a list of mandate housing providers.
The application process for seniors’ housing is the same as applying for RGI subsidy. Access to Housing will assess eligibility for seniors’ housing once you submit your RGI application. When you turn 59 years old you can add seniors’ buildings to your housing choices. Many of the seniors’ buildings have seniors’ support services on-site.
Once your complete application is processed and you are added to the Centralized Waiting List. Please take note of the following steps and information.
Learn about the subsidized housing options in Toronto by viewing housing listings in the areas you would like to live, and select your buildings of choice.
View Subsidized Housing Listings
In order to maintain your eligibility you must confirm your interest in remaining on the Centralized Waiting List for housing every 18 months. You must also notify Access to Housing of any changes to your information, including:
If you wish for the City of Toronto to communicate with someone other than yourself about the details of your application you must first provide written authorization.
If you are living in a subsidized/RGI unit, you must inform your housing provider about changes to your situation that might affect your subsidy. These include:
Tenants of subsidized housing must complete an Annual Review of income and assets to keep their housing subsidy. For more information on requirements for maintaining a subsidy, see Chapter 3 of the RGI Administration Manual.
Once housed, if a household stops meeting RGI program requirements, they could lose their RGI assistance. If you receive a Notice of Decision, Loss of Eligibility for RGI Assistance, contact your housing provider right away. You may be able to resolve the issue before the effective date (the day your rent will change to market rent). If and once resolved, your housing provider will send you a notice that your RGI assistance has been restored.
When you get a Notice of Decision, Loss of Eligibility for RGI Assistance, you can request a review of the decision. If you live in a non-profit or co-operative and have not been able to work things out with your housing provider, send this form to the City within 30 calendar days. Your housing provider must include the Request for Review Form with their notice.
If you need emergency shelter, please call the Central Intake at 416-338-4766. A local Housing Help Centre can help you access other housing options, find and keep housing, and avoid eviction.
Need help with understanding your subsidized housing options or completing your application? There are three ways you can get support:
Visit a Housing Help Centre near you, or the Access to Housing Resource Centre, to receive support with:
The Access to Housing Resource Centre is located at:
176 Elm Street
Toronto, ON M5T 3M4
Mondays, Wednesday, Thursdays, Fridays: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesdays: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On Monday afternoons from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday mornings from 10 to 11 a.m., Housing Help Centre staff are present on site to provide extra support.
Call 416-338-8888, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Send an email to ask@housingconnections.ca for a response within 72 hours.
You can provide us with your feedback about housing and homelessness services directly delivered or funded by the City.