2025-26 Confirmed Funding Allocations for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB)

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

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

234-2025-3995

September 18, 2025

Vice Chair Kevin Burke
Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
kburke@msdsb.net

Dear Vice Chair Kevin Burke:

Re: 2025-26 Confirmed Funding Allocations for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) Program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS)

Our government understands the importance of housing that is affordable and meets the needs of Ontario’s diverse communities and populations. Since April 2020, over 32,000 households have received assistance under the Canada Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) program.

The COHB program helps transition households out of the costly shelter system and into more stable, cost-effective, family-friendly long-term housing that better enables households to integrate into the community.

I am pleased to provide your COHB planning allocation for the 2025-26 fiscal year to onboard new households. The details of your planning allocation are provided below:

COHB Planning Allocations – Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB

I will continue to advocate for a long-term federal funding commitment beyond the current NHS − including COHB − which expires in March 2028.

I am also pleased to share two important updates to the COHB program that reflect Ontario’s ongoing commitment to supporting vulnerable populations and ensuring equitable access to housing supports.

1. Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) – Income Exemption

In May 2025, the federal government has introduced the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), providing up to $200 per month to low-income working-age Canadians with disabilities. Ontario is committed to supporting individuals receiving social assistance. The province will be exempting CDB payments from income calculations for social assistance programs.

To ensure consistency across housing supports, the COHB program guidelines will be updated to reflect that CDB payments are to be excluded from the Adjusted Family Net Income (AFNI) when calculating COHB benefits. This change ensures that recipients of the CDB will not see a reduction in their COHB entitlements.

2. Inclusion of Veterans as a Priority Target Group

Our government recognizes the service and sacrifices of Veterans and is committed to supporting their well-being, including access to stable housing. As part of this commitment, Veterans are now included as a priority target group under the COHB program.

Service Managers (SMs) are encouraged to consider Veterans alongside existing priority groups, which include individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness, survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, Indigenous persons, seniors, people with disabilities, and young adults.

For the purposes of the COHB program, a Veteran is defined as any former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who successfully completed basic training and was honourably discharged. This includes those who served in the Regular Force or Reserve Force (including Cadet Instructors, Canadian Rangers, and eligible members of the Supplementary Reserve), regardless of length or location of service.

COHB Take-Up Plan

Similar to last year, in order to take up their allocations and onboard new households, Service Managers are required, to complete a COHB take-up plan for new COHB households. The take-up plan is a projection of households to be onboarded to COHB for 2025-26. The take-up plan reporting template can be accessed by clicking on the following link: 2025-26 COHB Take-Up Plan

Take-up plans must be submitted to the Ministry by no later then September 30, 2025.

In addition, to the above and to help improve COHB planning, SMs are required to inform the Ministry of any changes to the projected number of new households from the take-up plan per the existing quarterly reporting process.

Should you have any questions, please contact Sean Fraser, Assistant Deputy Minister, Municipal and Housing Operations Division at Sean.Fraser@ontario.ca.

I am pleased that our government is able to support the vital work you do to improve housing outcomes in your community. I look forward to continuing our collaboration and building on this important progress together.

Sincerely,

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

c: Donna Stewart, Chief Administrative Officer, Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
    Lori Clark, Director, Integrated Social Services, Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
    Cindy Couillard, Team Lead, Regional Housing Services, Municipal Services Office North (Sudbury)
    Robert Dodd, Chief of Staff, Minister’s Office, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
    Martha Greenberg, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
    Sean Fraser, Assistant Deputy Minister, Municipal and Housing Operations Division, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing 
    Tanisha Lewis, Director, Housing Programs Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing