Rent-Geared-to-Income Priority Access

Survivors of Family/Domestic Abuse & Human Trafficking

The Special Priority Program (SPP) is for households with current or recent experience of domestic abuse or human trafficking. Under provincial housing legislation (the Housing Services Act), the SPP gives households priority access to Rent-Geared-to-Income housing or other housing benefits.  

Please be aware that securing housing or housing benefits can take some time. If you are looking for a referral to a Violence Against Women shelter or other supports related to your situation, call: 

• Assaulted Women’s Helpline at 416-863-0511 or 1-866-963-7868 
• Human Trafficking Helpline at 1-833-999-9211 

To qualify under this category, you must: 

• meet the Rent-Geared-to-Income eligibility requirements
• meet the criteria for either domestic violence and sponsorship abuse or human trafficking, either by: 
• living with or having lived with an individual who is abusing you or another person in your household or is sponsoring the abused member as an immigrant 
• having a member of your household who is being or has been trafficked 

Applying for SPP

1. Complete and submit a Special Priority Application. (Complete instructions are included on the form.) 
   1. If you are currently on the Centralized Waiting List, include your application number on the SPP application. 
   2. If you are not currently on the Centralized Waiting List, you will need to complete an RGI Application and record the number on your SPP application.There is no cost to submit or process either application.
2. Upload the completed form to your  MyAccesstoHousingTO  account. 

Supporting Documents

If you are applying under the domestic abuse category, the following documents are acceptable proof that you were living with the abuser:

• up-to-date lease, rental agreement or documents, or mortgage documents
• mailed property tax or utility bills, or statement from a financial institution
• most recent mailed communication from the Canada Revenue Agency
• benefits statement from Ontario Works/Ontario Disability Support Program
• driver’s license
• educational institution registration record
• insurance policy
• police report if joint residency has been confirmed
• letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada confirming breakdown in sponsorship
• letter from a lawyer handling custody application who has a professional relationship with the applicant prior to the SPP application
• letter from a family doctor, dentist who has known the applicant prior to SPP application
• letter from public health nurse or representative of a child protections agency, who has visited the applicant in their home and can bear witness that they saw the allege abuser residing at the common address
• letter from the Public Guardian and Trustee
• letter from a post-secondary institution, public school board or Catholic school

All documents from professionals should be original, signed copies on letterhead. (Households applying as survivors of human trafficking are not required to demonstrate co-habitation.)

Terminally Ill Applicants

To support the housing needs of clients with terminal illness, the City provides a higher ranking on the chronological waitlist to eligible clients who are terminally ill and have less than two years to live.

To qualify under this category, you must:

• be eligible for Rent-Geared-to-Income assistance
• be in the care of a physician that has provided a diagnosis for the terminal illness and will confirm that your life expectancy is less than two years

To apply:

1. Complete and submit a Request for Priority for Terminally Ill Applicants.
2. Have your physician complete and sign the appropriate section.
3. Upload the completed form to your MyAccesstoHousingTO account.

The City will review the application and determine eligibility for the program. All applicants will be notified in writing. For those accepted into the program, their date on the waiting list will be reflective of the date all required documents were received to determine eligibility for the program. 

Indigenous Priority

The Indigenous priority status for Rent Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing in Toronto is reserved for applicants who identify as Indigenous to Canada (First Nations, Inuit or Metis). To be eligible for this priority, a minimum of 50 per cent of household members must identify as Indigenous. Thunder Woman Healing Lodge Society will conduct the eligibility verification for this priority on behalf of the City of Toronto.

The City co-developed the implementation for this priority with Indigenous organizations. The criteria used for this priority was developed by TASSC, the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council, who work with 18 Indigenous-led non-profits in Toronto.

Steps to apply:

1. Log into your MyAccesstoHousingTO account 
2. Complete the Diversity Demographic Question, indicating your identity  
3. Contact the Indigenous Verification Coordinator at Thunder Woman Healing Lodge Society at 437-221-9567 or email E.Clairoux@twhls.ca to complete the identity verification process.
4. Have all relevant Indigenous status documents prepared for your appointment.

Acceptable Identification Proof

Acceptable proof of identification of First Nation, Inuit and Metis People include:  

• First Nations (Status)
  A government-issued certificate of Indian Status (Status Card) or a letter from the individual’s First Nations Community, on their letterhead, including their band registration/treaty number signed by the Band Administrator. 
• First Nations (Non-Status) who belong to a Band or First Nation
  A letter from the Band/First Nation on their letterhead, including their band registration/treaty number and signed by the Band Administrator 
• Inuit
  A letter from a government organization such as Inuvialuit Regional Corporation or Nunatsiavut in Labrador, the latter of which also issues a card. There are also various Inuit beneficiary cards issued through organizations such as Nunavut Trust; these can also serve as proof of Inuit Status. Letters should be on letterhead, include a registration number and be signed by a recognized Inuit government official. 
• Métis
  A card issued by a one of the following member provinces of the Métis National Council of Canada: 

1. 1. 1. Métis British Columbia Nation 
      2. Métis Nation of Alberta 
      3. Métis Nation of Saskatchewan 
      4. Manitoba Métis Federation, Inc. 
      5. Métis Nation of Ontario
      6. Northwest Territory Metis Nation
      7. Metis Settlement of Alberta   

Households Exiting Permanent Supportive Housing

Tenants who are currently residing in supportive housing and who wish to exit the program to relocate to Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing are eligible to apply to the Households Exiting Permanent Supportive Housing priority.

Tenants can begin the application process by speaking to their housing provider and completing the Households Exiting Supportive Housing Priority Form.

Households Exiting Supportive Housing (HESH) Application