3. Learn more about how to apply

To be accepted into rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing, you must first be eligible for the type of housing you apply for. There are different application processes and eligibility rules depending on where you live in Ontario. To learn more about the process in your area, you can contact your local service manager.

Eligibility rules

All service managers have rules about who can live in RGI housing. It's a good idea to read the rules before you apply.

Here are some common eligibility rules:

• Everyone living in the home must be:
  • a Canadian citizen,
  • a permanent resident,
  • a refugee, or
  • someone who has applied for permanent residence or made a refugee claim.
• At least one person applying is 16 years or older.
• At least one person applying can live independently, though this can be with the help of outside support services.
• No one living in the home has criminal convictions related to RGI in the last 2 years.
• No one living in the home has a removal order.
• No one living in the home owes money for rent or damage from previously living in RGI housing.

Sometimes you can apply for RGI housing even if you still owe money from when you lived in RGI housing before. For example, you can apply if you are keeping up with a payment plan, or you are trying reasonably hard to make a payment plan.

Application process

You will need to fill out an application form for the RGI housing in your community. Most communities only have one application form for all the RGI housing available in your area.

But sometimes there can be a separate application form for specialized RGI housing. For example, Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services has its own application form.

The application form will ask you to provide some documents. One of these documents will be an identification document, like a permanent resident card or Canadian birth certificate. The housing provider will use this document to confirm that you are allowed to live in Canada permanently.

The other document you will need is a tax document called a Notice of Assessment, from the Canada Revenue Agency. The government sends you this document after you've filed your taxes. It tells you information like how much income tax you owe or if you are getting a tax refund. The housing provider will use this document to confirm that your income is low enough to qualify for RGI.

If you can't provide documents, talk to your local service manager. Some places accept applications without documents in situations where you might not have them. For example, Windsor- Essex County has different document rules for people who are homeless or those who are at risk of abuse if they try to get the documents they need.