Subsidized Housing

A subsidy is a sum of money granted by the government to assist with a need. Subsidized housing is paid for, in part, by the government, to make housing more affordable for low-income people. If you rent a subsidized unit, you pay rent based on your income, not on the size of your unit. This is called ‘Rent-geared-to-income’ housing or RGI housing. Generally, your rent payment is 30% of your monthly income. The rest is subsidized by the government. Typically the waitlist to obtain a subsidized unit is approximately 9-10 years in Toronto.

Types of Subsidized Housing

Subsidized housing can be 1 or more bedroom units, or townhouses, depending on the family size. They are rented by all kinds of people: single people, couples, families with children, seniors, people with disabilities etc.
There are co-operative housing units, non-profit housing and local housing corporations.
Contact a Co-ordinated Access Centre where you live.
Here are some useful links for more information:

Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association
Toronto Community Housing
York Region Housing
Peel Region’s Access to Housing (PATH)

Rent Supplement

The Rent Supplement Program is rent-geared-to-income housing with private landlords. The household pays their rent-geared-to-income amount directly to the landlord and Housing Connections pays the rest of the rent to the landlord.
To select rent supplement housing choices, applicants add rent supplement sub‐zones to their application, rather than individual buildings.

Am I Eligible and How do I Apply?

To apply for subsidized housing, you must:

Be 16 years of age or older
Show your legal status in Canada, as well as for every household member
Not owe any money to a social housing provider in Ontario
The best way to apply is online, but you can also apply by filling out a paper application form. If you want to submit an application for Toronto subsidized housing, you can do so on the Housing Connections website.

More Information

You can apply to more than 1 building and more than 1 municipality. The more buildings you apply for, the sooner you can get a subsidized apartment.
Be sure to choose buildings where you will want to live in, because once buildings become available to you, you are only allowed to refuse the offer 2 times. If you refuse a 3rd offer, your application will be closed and you will need to reapply.
If you move, inform the co-ordinated access centre to update this information in their system, so that you do not miss any offers or information. If your building offers go to your old address accidentally and you do not respond in time, your file may be closed.
The Toronto Housing Commission typically requires applicants to confirm their interest in being on the wait-list every year. If you fail to confirm your continued interest, your file may be closed.