Housing & Homelessness Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes
waiting lists, create safer communities and simplify RGI rules and calculations.
The amended regulations:
Give community housing providers the authority to refuse to re-house a household based on previous eviction for a serious criminal offence;
Require applicants to prioritize their housing selection preference(s) and accept the first unit offered;
Give Service Managers and housing providers more flexibility to efficiently manage tenant transfers; and
Change the rules that govern the calculation of RGI to make it more fair, easier for tenants to understand and simpler for staff to administer.
Housing Services conducted a social housing provider meeting on December 3, 2019 to share the information on the regulatory changes, obtain feedback and provide an overview of the timelines for implementation.
Waiting List Changes: Refusals
The Waiting List changes came into effect the day it was announced on September 23, 2019.
Regulatory changes give housing providers the authority to refuse to re-house a household based on a previous eviction for serious criminal activity. The housing provider:
May refuse to offer a unit to a household if a member of the household was previously ordered evicted from community housing by the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) due to illegal activity AND
Must have reasonable grounds to believe that the household would pose a risk to the safety of other people at the housing project (i.e. other residents, staff).
Waiting List Changes: Refusals
The change comes into effect on January 1, 2020. All Service Managers will be required to apply the rule no later than January 1, 2021.
New provincial eligibility rule states that a household is no longer eligible for RGI assistance if it refuses an offer for RGI assistance, except in extenuating circumstances as determined by the Service Manager. This means an applicant on the waitlist will no longer receive three offers of housing before being deemed ineligible. This new one offer rule applies to all applicants on the waitlist including special needs and special priority applicants.