Rent-Geared-to-Income Subsidy

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:

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

At the Access to Housing Resource Centre at 176 Elm Street, you can receive the following services:

• Book an appointment to meet with housing staff at our office;
  • Select this option if you would like to meet with staff to discuss general inquiries about applying for RGI housing and maintaining your status during the application process.
• Book an appointment for a time on the Self-Serve Computer
  • Select this option if you would like to book a self-serve computer. These computers must only be used for activities related to applying or maintaining your RGI housing application.

Before you visit, you should know that:

Online Access

• You can use the MyAccesstoHousingTO online application portal to apply, manage or update your application for RGI housing.

Appointments

• You must book an appointment to guarantee service. If you do not have an appointment there is no guarantee you can receive service and you will only be served if there is an available time slot.
• Bring the following items to your appointment: reservation code, government issued identification card and any applicable documents. If you do not have these items, you may not be able to receive service and will be directed to book an appointment at a later.
• Prepare for your appointment by gathering any documents required to discuss applying for RGI housing or maintaining an application. Applicable documents may include: government issued identification card, proof of status in Canada, notice of assessment, SPP application and support documents. Clients can visit toronto.ca/accesstohousing to determine the documents required for their appointment.
• Make photocopies of any applicable documents in advance of your appointment. Photocopy services are not available to the public at the Access to Housing Resource Centre.
• Arrive 5 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. If you are more than 10 minutes late, your appointment will be automatically cancelled and you will need to reschedule.
• Be prepared to show staff your government issued identification card to confirm your appointment and discuss your application.
• You are required to have an email address to apply for RGI housing.

Computers

• There will be limited numbers of self-serve computers available.
• You may have to wait for one of these computers to become available for use or book an appointment for another day.
• Computers must only be used for activities related to applying for or maintaining your RGI application.

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:

• see detailed information in your MyAccesstoHousingTO about available buildings and units, including photos, move-in dates and accessibility features
• choose units of interest
• make a more informed decision when selecting a unit
• sign up to receive email notifications when new information is posted

On January 1, 2022, the City implemented a Single Offer Rule. More information about this change will be available before it comes into effect.

Benefits of Using MyAccesstoHousingTO

• View the status of your application
• Receive notifications and important updates
• View and update information including adding household members, or changing your contact information
• Upload required supporting documents, including Status in Canada documents, Signed Consent and Declaration Form and Notice of Assessment
• Participate in the new choice-based housing offer process

How to Access Your Account

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.

Log in to MyAccesstoHousingTO

Watch the video tutorial below to learn how to complete your MyAccesstoHousingTO registration, or read the step-by-step instructions.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In the portal, select “Click here to register”, then “I have an application” and enter the code you received in your letter.
   Note: Do not select “I do not have an application”, as this will result in a new application date for your household.

2. Enter your name exactly as it appears on the top of your letter. If you have a middle name, include it in the “First Name” field. Enter the same phone number you provided on your application. You will also need an email address to create an account. You will also be able to receive notifications about your application by email.

3. Review the information in each section of your application to ensure it is correct.

4. In the “Documents” section, upload the following for each member of your household:

• • a valid Canadian status document for all household members
  • your most recent Notice(s) of Assessment, for all household members over 16 years of age. (For more information about exceptions, go to the How to Apply section.)
  • other documents that you will be asked to upload based on your application

5. Digitally sign the Consent and Declaration for all household members 16 years of age and older through the “Sign and Submit” section.

Need Help?

Download the MyAccesstoHousingTO Applicant Guide:

• English
• French

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.

Information for All Applicants

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:

• seven years or more for a bachelor unit
• 12 years or more for a one-bedroom unit
• 10 years or more for larger unit sizes

Wait times may vary depending on a number of factors including how many buildings an applicant selects and the location of those buildings.

Accessibility & Special Needs

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.

Buildings with Mandates

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.

Offer Process

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..

Single Offer Rule starting January 1, 2022

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:

• see detailed information in your MyAccesstoHousingTO about available buildings and units, including photos, move-in dates and accessibility features, and choose units of interest
• make a more informed decision when selecting a unit
• sign up to receive email notifications when new information is posted

Anyone may apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing as long as they meet the following criteria:

• At least one member of the household is 16 years or older
• At least one member of the household is able to live independently, with or without support services
• Each member of the household can prove status in Canada as one of the following:
  • a Canadian citizen
  • a permanent resident of Canada
  • an applicant for Canadian permanent resident status
  • a refugee claimant or Convention refugee
• Applicants are required to submit a Notice of Assessment for the current taxation year prior to accepting an offer of housing (see more under How to Apply)

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:

1. Survivors of family/domestic abuse and human trafficking
2. Terminally ill applicants who have less than two years to live
3. Tenants already living in subsidized units that need to move to a smaller unit due to changes in their household (according to local occupancy standards)

There are also local priority access rules for the following:

• applicants experiencing homelessness
• youth who are 16 or 17 years old at the time of applying for Rent-Geared-to-Income housing and who are heads of household
• vulnerable families

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.

Required Documents

To apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income housing, you will need to upload the following for all household members:

• Legal status in Canada documentation for all household members
• Information about any money owed to, or re-payment plans with a Social Housing Provider
• Consent and Declaration for all household members over 16 years of age
• Other income, including income generated from assets is to be declared in the application

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:

• newcomers who have been in Canada for less than one year
• individuals identified as part of a priority group, including those experiencing homelessness, vulnerable families or youth who were 16 or 17 years old when they applied to the Centralized Waiting list

Examples of acceptable documents to prove status in Canada include:

• Canadian Birth Certificate
• Citizenship Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• Refugee approval documents with valid expiry dates

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.

Commercial Rent Supplement Program

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.

Special Needs & Additional Bedrooms

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:

• Medical Request for Modified Unit
• Medical Request for Additional Bedroom (includes optional caregiver sections)

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.

Housing Options

View Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing Listings

Buildings with Mandates

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:

• add the buildings you may be interested in to your list of preferred buildings complexes
• if you select a building where you believe you fit the mandate, the Housing Provider will contact you to confirm your eligibility
• you may be required to provide additional information to confirm your eligibility for the building mandate

Seniors’ Housing

Households with at least one member aged 59 or older are automatically approved for buildings with a seniors’ mandate.

Maintain Eligibility

Keeping your information up-to-date

In order to maintain your eligibility, you must update your MyAccesstoHousingTO account with any changes to your information, including:

• address
• phone number
• email address
• number of household members and their information
• different contact name on application
• income
• immigration status

Annual Notice of Assessment

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:

• Newcomers who have been in Canada for less than one year
• Individuals identified as part of a priority group, including those experiencing homelessness, vulnerable families or youth who were 16 or 17 years old when they applied to the Centralized Waiting list

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:

• a permanent change in who lives with you
• if a member of your household stops being a full-time student
• if a member of your household started or stopped receiving social assistance
• if a member of your social assistance benefit unit had a permanent increase in income
• if a member of your household has had their income tax return reassessed or additionally assessed since their last Income and RGI Review
• any change in any member of your household’s right to stay in Canada.

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:

• Participate annually in a household Income and RGI review
• Never give false or incomplete information regarding income or eligibility for RGI
• Ensure that all members of the household are not absent from the unit for longer than 90 days

Loss of Eligibility for RGI Assistance

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.

In Person

Visit a Housing Help Centre near you to help you:

• apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income housing
• view and select subsidized housing options
• update your existing application

The Access to Housing Resource Centre at 176 Elm St. remains closed for in-person services.

Phone

Call the Application Support Centre at 416-338-8888, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Other Supports and Benefits

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.

Housing Help

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.

Internal Transfer Requests

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.