Social Housing

To qualify for social housing in Hamilton, applicants must:

• Be 16 years of age or older and be able to live independently
• Each member of the household must be a Canadian Citizen, Landed Immigrant or Refugee Claimant
• No member of the household has a deportation order, departure or exclusion order under the Immigration Act
• No member of the household owes arrears for rent or damage to any social housing provider in Ontario
• If you own residential property, you must agree to sell within 180 days after RGI assistance is received

The following is a list of required documents that must be provided with your application for everyone listed on the application form. Some items may not apply to some individuals.

• Copies of Canadian birth certificates, Canadian passport, landed immigrant, permanent resident card or refugee claimant documents for all members of the household.
• Custody documentation (i.e. Court/ lawyer/ CAS, ex-partner, etc.).
• Copy of a repayment schedule for anyone in your household who owes money to any social housing provider in Ontario.
•  A copy of the notice of assessment issued under the Income Tax Act (Canada) for the most recent taxation year available for each member of the household who has income.
• Self-employed - please provide proof of income such as your latest income tax, investment Interest income, pay stubs, etc.
• If pregnant, provide proof of pregnancy (i.e. doctors note)
• If you are claiming homelessness, abuse, a serious medical condition, a dangerous or life threatening situation, etc., proof is required from someone in a professional position (court/ lawyer/ doctor/ police/ worker).

Applications submitted without the requested documents will not be processed. You will be advised in writing that your application is incomplete. You will not be placed on the waiting list, until all the required documents are received.

Applicants for social housing have a number of responsibilities:

• You are responsible to notify ATH of any changes to your information in order to maintain your eligibility status
• You are responsible to confirm your interest in remaining on the waiting list for housing. This confirmation must be done with ATH once a year. A reminder letter will be sent to you.

Applicants must notify Access to Housing (ATH) if:

• Your address changes
• Your phone number changes
• You want to live in locations other than those you chose on your application
• The number of people in your household changes
• The contact person on your application changes
• Your income changes
• Your Immigration status changes

Notice of any change in any information or documents must be submitted within 30 business days of the change. A longer time as may be allowed by ATH or the City of Hamilton.

Stay connected
If your contact information changes, tell us right away. We will make your file inactive if we cannot contact you. You cannot be offered housing if your file is inactive.

Keep your application up to date
The government regulations for social housing make it your responsibility to keep your application up to date. If you do not tell us about changes in your information, you could lose your place on the waiting list. Access to Housing will also review your eligibility once a year.

Stay eligible
Every member of your household must continue to meet the five conditions listed under “Who can apply for subsidized housing?”

Review your needs regularly
Review your housing needs regularly and tell us right away if your needs or preferences change.