2.4. Eligibility Rules

POLICY

Persons applying to the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (DSB) must meet eligibility requirements in order to have their screening application ranked on the Centralized Waiting List.   

Newly created local Priorities will see the modernization of the Housing System to include a healthy mix within Communities of Rent-Geared-to-Income; Affordable Housing and Market Units to ensure that the Needs of the Community are met and that financial viability are attained to support ongoing need for sustainable affordable housing.
 

PROCEDURE

General

A household is eligible for RGI assistance if: 

1. At least one member of the household is 16 years of age or older, and is able to live independently. 
   • An individual is able to live independently if he or she is able to perform for himself or herself the normal essential activities of day-to-day living.
   • An individual shall be deemed to be able to live independently if they are able to live independently with the aid of certain support services and demonstrate that those support services will be provided to them when they are required
2. Each member of the household must be a Canadian citizen, have applied for permanent resident status, or be a refugee claimant 
3. No removal order under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) has been made against any member of the household. 
4. No member of the household owes money as a result of a previous tenancy. The money owed can be arrears, damages caused by the household, or an amount of a reimbursement owed to the service manager. It can be in any housing project under any of the housing programs transferred under the HSA (This includes money owed with respect to a market and/or geared-to-income unit.) If a member of the household does owe money, the service manager has the flexibility to not require payment if it is satisfied that there are extenuating circumstances; or if an agreement has been entered into to repay the housing provider; or if the applicant has made reasonable efforts to make a repayment agreement. The service manager may also waitlist the applicant, if the applicant is an Ontario Works recipient, and a comfort letter is supplied.  The service manager must also be satisfied the applicant will make every effort to repay the amount. There is a special provision for a special priority household to repay only 50 per cent of the arrears if the unit had a joint tenancy with the abuser. 
5. No member of the household has been convicted of an offence under the Act (see above) or a crime under the Criminal Code (Canada) regarding the receipt of rent-geared-to-income assistance, or found by the Landlord and Tenant Board or a court of law to have misrepresented their income for the purpose of receiving rent-geared-to-income.  

If a former member of the household were convicted of such a crime, the service manager can determine:

• whether or not anyone else in the household knew the fraud was being committed or was able to prevent it; or
• if the period of time for which the household cannot reapply has expired (two years unless further extended by a local priority rule); or
• whether the household is a special priority household and the member was forced to make the misrepresentation by the abuser. 

    6. Income Tax has been filed for each eligible household member.

Reference: 

Comfort letter – Ontario Works

Former with Arrears Payment Arrangement - generic form 2.4b