The City has implemented a new way to access Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing in Toronto called the choice-based housing offer process. You will receive an invite if you have a priority status or an application date of December 31, 2015 and earlier.
The Access to Housing Resource Centre is open to the public for information and for help on how to apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income (“RGI”) housing and how to maintain your status in the application process.
On this page, you can review our services and find helpful information about planning your visit. If you are planning to visit the Access to Housing Resource Centre, you must book an appointment.
Note: An appointment is required to speak with our housing staff at the centre or to use the self-service computers. If you do not have an appointment, there is no guarantee you can receive these services and you will only be served if there is an available time slot that day/at that time. If there is no available time slot, you will be asked to book an appointment for another day. Appointments are available on a first-come-first served basis.
Access to Housing provides in-person services at 176 Elm St. Toronto, north of Dundas St. and west of University Ave., near St Patrick subway station.
We offer services in-person, by appointment during our office hours:
At the Access to Housing Resource Centre at 176 Elm Street, you can receive the following services:
Before you visit, you should know that:
Online Access
Appointments
Computers
MyAccesstoHousingTO is the City of Toronto’s new online application portal for households applying for or managing their application for Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing in Toronto.
MyAccesstoHousingTO provides a convenient and secure way to interact with the City. Applicants can submit all required documentation, update and view the status of their application and receive notifications from a smartphone, tablet or computer.
The City has implemented a new way for applicants on the Centralized Waiting List to access RGI housing in Toronto called the choice-based housing offer process.
With the choice-based housing offer process, as an applicant, you will be able to:
On January 1, 2022, the City implemented a Single Offer Rule. More information about this change will be available before it comes into effect.
Existing applicants currently on the Centralized Waiting List will need a unique code to sign on to the MyAccesstoHousingTO portal for the first time. The City is mailing applicants their code in phases starting with households that are closest to the top of the waiting list. Letters are being mailed between July 15, 2021 and February 8, 2022.
View the schedule to see when you can expect to receive your code in the mail. If you are experiencing homelessness, your registration code will be mailed to the preferred mailing address listed on your application. You can also contact your housing worker, Housing Help Centre or the Application Support Centre at 416-338-8888 to get your code.
Watch the video tutorial below to learn how to complete your MyAccesstoHousingTO registration, or read the step-by-step instructions.
Download the MyAccesstoHousingTO Applicant Guide:
For more assistance, see the Need Help section of this web page.
For free access to a computer or Wi-Fi, visit your local Toronto Public Library.
If you are already on the Centralized Waiting List, you will receive your code by mail between July 20, 2021 and February 13, 2022. See below for the estimated mailing schedule. Please note that actual delivery dates may vary by up to two weeks.
If you do not receive a letter by the date indicated below, you can get your code through a Housing Help Centre or by calling the Applications Support Centre. See the Need Help section for contact information.
Application Type | Application Date | Estimated Delivery Date |
---|---|---|
Special Priority Program (SPP) Applicants | Any Date | July 20, 2021 |
Terminally Ill Applicants | Any Date | July 20, 2021 |
Over-Housed Applicants | Any Date | July 20, 2021 |
Disadvantaged Applicants
(People Experiencing Homelessness, Vulnerable Families, Youth) |
1994-2017 | July 20, 2021 |
2018-2019 | July 27, 2021 | |
2020 | August 3, 2021 | |
2021 | August 10, 2021 | |
Senior Applicants | 1977-1999 | July 20, 2021 |
2000-2004 | July 27, 2021 | |
2005 | August 3, 2021 | |
2006-2008 | August 10, 2021 | |
2009-2010 | August 17, 2021 | |
2011 | August 24, 2021 | |
2012 | August 31, 2021 | |
2013 | September 7, 2021 | |
2014 | September 21, 2021 | |
2015 | September 28, 2021 | |
2016 | October 5, 2021 | |
2017 | October 12, 2021 | |
2018 | October 26, 2021 | |
2019 | November 9, 2021 | |
2020 | November 23, 2021 | |
2021 | November 30, 2021 | |
General Applicants | 1982-1997 | July 20, 2021 |
1998-2001 | July 27, 2021 | |
2002-2003 | August 3, 2021 | |
2004-2005 | August 10, 2021 | |
2006-2007 | August 17, 2021 | |
2008-2009 | August 24-31, 2021 | |
2010 | September 7, 2021 | |
2011 | September 28, 2021 | |
2012 | October 12, 2021 | |
2013 | October 19, 2021 | |
2014 | October 26, 2021 | |
2015 | November 16, 2021 | |
2016 | November 23-December 7, 2021 | |
2017 | December 14- 21, 2021 | |
2018 | January 11-18, 2022 | |
2019 | January 25, 2022 | |
2020-2021 | February 8, 2022 |
Once your application is processed as eligible, you will be placed on the Centralized Waiting List, which is managed by Access to Housing.
Applicants are served on a first-come, first-served basis, and applicants with the older application dates receive an offer of housing first, unless applicants are eligible for priority status.
Housing providers, including Toronto Community Housing Corporation, non-profit and co-operative housing providers use the Centralized Waiting List to select and house applicants for rent-geared-to-income assistance. Housing providers have a list of applicants waiting for housing according to their priority 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 buildings an applicant selects and the location of those buildings.
If you or members of your household use a mobility device on a full or part-time basis or have mobility issues, you can request a fully or partially modified unit. Modifications vary by unit and can include features such as grab bars, lowered countertops, and wider doorframes.
By indicating your accessibility needs during application, you may be eligible for a modified unit. You may also accept an offer for a non-modified unit and discuss needed accessibility modifications with your housing provider.
Applicants who require overnight care from a caregiver or space for medical equipment can apply for an additional bedroom. Learn more under How to Apply.
Some buildings have an approved mandate to house a particular group of people. In buildings with approved mandates, households who apply for units must include at least one person who qualifies for the mandate. For example, some mandates require that tenants be seniors, artists or member of a specific cultural community. Learn more under Information for Applicants on the Centralized Waiting List.
Currently, once you reach the top of the waiting list, if a unit becomes available in a building you have expressed interest in, a housing provider will contact you by phone with an offer of housing. See more about how to review and select buildings under Information for Applicants on the Centralized Waiting List.
The City has implemented a new way for applicants on the Centralized Waiting List to access RGI housing in Toronto called the choice-based housing offer process..
In compliance with the Housing Services Act, the City moved to a Single Offer Rule in 2022. This means that as of January 1, 2022, you will be eligible to receive only one offer of suitable RGI housing. If you refuse this offer, you will be removed from the Centralized Waiting List. While you are eligible to re-apply, you will receive a new application date and will start at the bottom of the Centralized Waiting List.
The City has implemented a new way for applicants on the Centralized Waiting List to access RGI housing in Toronto called the choice-based housing offer process..
With the choice-based housing offer process, as an applicant, you will be able to:
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 the household members’ names to ensure they do not owe money to housing providers or have a conviction related to RGI housing.
If you own a residential property, you must disclose this when you apply. 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.
If you do not have income, should you receive a housing offer, you would be required to seek income such as Ontario Works.
There are a few groups of applicants who are prioritized for housing. These groups, ranked in order of priority, are:
There are also local priority access rules for the following:
Log in to the MyAccesstoHousingTO portal to apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing, upload all required documentation and manage your account.
Don’t have a Wi-Fi enabled device or need help? See the Need Help section of this web page for a list of resources to help with your application and/or access a computer.
To apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income housing, you will need to upload the following for all household members:
To accept an offer of housing, applicants will also need to submit the most recent tax year’s Notice of Assessment for all household members 16 years of age and older, with the exception of:
Examples of acceptable documents to prove status in Canada include:
View a full list of proof of Canadian status documents.
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. You can also indicate alternate contacts in your MyAccesstoHousingTO application.
While completing your application, you can express interest in the City’s Commercial Rent Supplement program, which provides a Rent-Geared-to-Income subsidy to eligible households in specific private market rental buildings.
Learn more about the program, including how it works.
To request a modified unit, or an additional bedroom for an overnight caregiver or storing eligible medical equipment, you and your physician must complete the appropriate form:
Caregivers or home care agencies may need to submit additional forms. Please ensure you upload the completed form(s) to your MyAccesstoHousingTO account.
If you are an eligible applicant on the Centralized Waiting List, please take note of the following requirements and information.
Log in to the MyAccesstoHousingTO portal. You will need to enter your registration code, which will be mailed to you between July 15, 2021 and February 8, 2022. For more information on when you will receive your code, go to MyAccesstoHousingTO Registration Code Mailing Schedule.
Keeping your application up-to-date is your responsibility and will ensure housing providers are able to reach you at the time of offer. If you do not keep your application up-to-date, it could result in a housing offer being counted as a refusal or your file being cancelled.
The City of Toronto may use the information from your application to identify other housing benefits for which you may be eligible.
View Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing Listings
Some buildings have an approved mandate to house a particular group of people. In buildings with approved mandates, households who apply for units must include at least one person who qualifies for the mandate. For example, some mandates require that tenants be seniors, artists or member of a specific cultural community. View a list of buildings with mandates.
To apply for mandate housing:
Households with at least one member aged 59 or older are automatically approved for buildings with a seniors’ mandate.
In order to maintain your eligibility, you must update your MyAccesstoHousingTO account with any changes to your information, including:
Applicants are required to submit their most recent tax year’s Notice of Assessment (NOA) for all household members 16 years of age or older.
The following applicants are not required to submit an NOA to accept a housing offer:
Applicants are encouraged to upload their NOA at the time of application and update their accounts annually to ensure eligibility.
Notice of Assessments can be submitted to the City through the MyAccesstoHousingTO portal.
Existing applicants will receive an email notification when the annual deadline to submit their NOA is approaching.
Once you are living in a subsidized/RGI unit, you must inform your housing provider about changes to your situation that might affect your subsidy within 30 days. These include:
If you own or lease residential property that can be lived in year-round, to be eligible for RGI housing you must transfer, sell, donate or surrender that property or lease within 180 days of obtaining RGI housing.
Households receiving an RGI subsidy must:
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 (LOE) for RGI Assistance, contact your housing provider immediately. You may be able to resolve the issue before the effective date (the day your rent will change to market rent).
When a household receives a Notice of Decision – LOE for RGI Assistance, they can request a review of that decision from the City of Toronto, LOE Review Body. A copy of the Request for Review form must be provided by your housing provider with the Notice of Decision.
If you need emergency shelter, please call the Central Intake at 416-338-4766. A local Housing Help Centre can help you with your RGI application, assist you in accessing other housing options or keep your existing 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 to help you:
The Access to Housing Resource Centre at 176 Elm St. remains closed for in-person services.
Call the Application Support Centre at 416-338-8888, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
To identify a personalized list of City of Toronto services and benefits for which you may be eligible, please complete the brief survey in the Services and Benefits Finder Tool.
Find a free tax clinic in your area for support in getting your Notice of Assessment.
Access free WiFi or a computer at any Toronto Public Library location.
Applicants who are experiencing difficulty with their landlord or current housing provider may wish to contact the Tenant’s Hotline by phone at 416-921-9494 or email at hotline@torontotenants.org.
Existing tenants cannot manage internal transfers within RGI buildings through the MyAccesstoHousingTO portal. Existing RGI tenants looking to move to a different unit within the same building should contact their Housing Provider.
You can provide us with your feedback about housing and homelessness services directly delivered or funded by the City.