2025-26 COCHI-OPHI Allocation Letter

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Office of the Minister 
777 Bay Street, 17th Floor 
Toronto ON M7A 2J3 
Tel.: 416 585-7000

234-2025-2425

July 18, 2025

Board Chair Bruce Killah
Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
bkillah@msdsb.net

Dear Board Chair Killah:

Re: 2025-26 Confirmed Funding Allocations for Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI), Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI), and Expansion Target

Following the federal government's approval of Ontario’s final three-year National Housing Strategy (NHS) Action Plan, I am pleased to confirm your funding allocations under the COCHI and OPHI programs for the 2025-26 fiscal year and provide planned allocations for fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28. Details of these allocations are provided below:

COCHI/OPHI Funding Allocations – Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB

As you know, during the last two years of the NHS, OPHI funding will be gradually reduced. Please plan and manage the uptake under the Housing Allowance and Rent Supplement components of the program accordingly.

To further support Ontario’s overall NHS commitment, each Service Manager (SM) has been assigned a rent-assisted unit target for the 2025-26 fiscal year. These targets are aligned with funding allocations and are intended to contribute toward the overall provincial goal of expanding rent-assisted housing. Your specific expansion target for 2025-26 is provided below:

Rent-assisted Unit Target – Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB

The NHS Action Plan confirms Ontario's commitment to expand rent-assisted housing units by 19,660 units by March 31, 2028. This goal enabled Ontario to secure federal NHS funding through to the end of the bilateral agreement.

Senior officials at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will be providing updated COCHI-OPHI program guidelines, Transfer Payment Agreements, as well as reporting and implementation materials that include reporting guides and templates. These will outline Ontario’s expectations and facilitate our collective progress toward NHS outcomes.

Ministry officials will be hosting information sessions that will focus on the rent-assisted unit target and reporting. The Ministry will share invitations to the sessions in the coming days.

Over the past year, Ontario has worked to develop new data collection mechanisms that improve progress tracking of our NHS targets, allowing Ontario to demonstrate significant progress towards the expansion target. By implementing additional reporting and monitoring enhancements in the coming fiscal year, we can continue to demonstrate progress and remain on track in meeting our NHS targets, including the rent-assisted expansion target by 2028.

Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB)

Portable housing benefits through the COHB program for those currently enrolled, will continue to be distributed out of the existing base program funding allocation managed by the province. At this time, 2025-26 COHB allocations for new participants have not been confirmed.

Our standard communications protocol for housing programs applies to the details in this letter, including keeping this information confidential.
 
Your ongoing effort in delivering community housing is essential to the success of this plan. I appreciate your partnership and look forward to our continued collaboration in achieving our shared housing goals.

Sincerely,

Hon. Robert J. Flack
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

c: Donna Stewart, Chief Administrative Officer, Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
    Robert Dodd, Chief of Staff, Minister’s Office, Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH)
    Martha Greenberg, Deputy Minister (MMAH)
    Sean Fraser, Assistant Deputy Minister, Municipal and Housing Operations (MMAH)
    Tanisha Lewis, Director, Housing Programs Branch (MMAH)