4.8. In-Situ Priority Status

POLICY

The Social Housing Reform Act allows the service manager to establish local priorities to determine how a class of households is ranked on the centralized waiting list.

O. Reg 298/01, s 12(4) states that a household whose income has increased so that their rent geared to income charge is equal to or higher than the applicable market rent/housing charge, will cease to qualify for rent geared to income assistance if it has been paying the market rent for 12 consecutive months. 

Housing Providers may receive requests from Market rent tenants in social housing who, because of a change in circumstance may need to make application for RGI assistance. If eligible, they would normally be ranked on the centralized waiting list in accordance with the date that they applied for RGI assistance. 

However, market rent households may also request priority for receipt of RGI assistance in their current unit. 

PROCEDURE

Market rent tenants requiring RGI assistance will be eligible for this In-situ Priority status on the centralized waiting list only if: 

• there has been a recent, significant and unexpected change in circumstances that is anticipated to be long term in duration which has led to the application for RGI assistance 
• RGI assistance is required to ensure the tenant does not fall into rental arrears thus subjecting the tenancy to subsequent eviction from the unit.

If the housing provider is below target** for RGI units, and the tenant is eligible for In-situ Priority status, the household may be offered immediate RGI assistance in their current unit if the unit is within the allowable range of occupancy standards. 

Market rent tenants in social housing who request RGI assistance will complete an application for RGI assistance as provided by the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB.  The tenant will return the application to the housing provider who will first 

determine if the household is eligible for RGI assistance by performing a Geared-to-Income Rent calculation.  Once eligibility for RGI assistance has been established, the housing provider will determine if the applicant is eligible for In-situ Priority status. 
 

If the household is not eligible for RGI assistance

The housing provider will give written notice to the applicant that they are ineligible for RGI assistance and advise of their right to appeal. 

The housing provider will forward a copy of the application to the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB with notice that the applicant is ineligible.    

Meeting the requirement for in-situ priority status only applies if the tenant is RGI eligible.
 

NOTE: 

An increase in the amount of market rent charged by the housing provider is not a significant and unexpected change. Market tenants requesting RGI assistance for this reason alone will not be eligible for In-situ Priority. 

In-situ Priority applicants have priority for their current housing provider only and cannot use this to relocate to a preferred location. 
 

In-situ Priority Applicants who lose their jobs 

Applicants who lose their jobs are required to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. Eligibility for In-situ Priority status will be determined only after the claim for EI benefits has been established or denied, and the applicant provides verification of: 

• the amount of EI benefits that will be paid; or 
• ineligibility for EI benefits.

As long as verification is provided, eligibility for In-situ Priority status can be established prior to the receipt of the first EI payment.
 

Offering RGI assistance to households with In-situ Priority 

Market rent tenants may be granted RGI assistance in their current unit if the unit is within the allowable range of occupancy standards. Where the current unit of an In-situ Priority applicant in not within the allowable range of occupancy standards, a temporary exemption to the occupancy standards may be permitted. Housing providers will contact the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB for approval in these circumstances. 

Applicants are not eligible for In-situ Priority status if their current provider does not offer any units within their applicable range of occupancy standards. 

Once eligibility for RGI assistance and In-situ Priority status is established, the housing provider will determine when RGI assistance can be offered to the tenant. This is dependent on the availability of RGI within the housing provider’s target plan. 
 

Housing providers who are below RGI targets 

If the housing provider is below target for RGI units, and the tenant is eligible for In-situ Priority status, the household may be offered immediate RGI assistance in their current unit. 

The housing provider will forward a copy of the completed application form to the Manitoulin Sudbury DSB and notify them that the household is now receiving RGI assistance as an In-situ Priority. 

The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB will record the household as “Housed” with In-situ Priority status in their applicant tracking system.
 

Housing providers who are at RGI targets 

If the housing provider is at or above target for RGI households, the provider will forward a copy of the RGI application to the Manitoulin Sudbury DSB with notice of the In-situ Priority. The household will be placed on the centralized waiting list within the In-situ Priority category according to their date of application for RGI assistance. 

The housing provider will offer the unit to the household if: 

• there is an RGI vacancy and the household is the highest ranked applicant on the centralized waiting list; or 
• the housing provider falls below target for RGI without a vacancy. 

The housing provider will notify the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB that the household is now receiving RGI assistance. The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB will record the household as “Housed” with In-situ Priority status in their tracking system. 
 

Households that are ineligible for In-situ Priority status 

Market rent tenants that are eligible for RGI assistance but do not qualify for In-situ Priority status will be ranked on the centralized waiting list according to the date that they applied for RGI assistance. 

The housing provider will give written notice to the applicant that they are ineligible for In-situ Priority status and advise of their right to appeal.

The housing provider will forward a copy of the application form to the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB with notice that the household does not qualify for In-situ Priority status. The household will be placed on the centralized waiting list according to their date of application for RGI assistance. The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB will flag the household as a market tenant requesting RGI assistance in their current unit. 

Market tenants on the waiting list for RGI assistance may make a new request for In-situ Priority status if their circumstances change. If determined to be eligible for In-situ Priority status, they will be placed in the category according to their original date of application for RGI assistance.  

** Targets refer to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing determination of the number of RGI vs Market Rent units in a provider’s portfolio. 

For example:

Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB’s former Local Housing Corporation Stock is 100% RGI.

CA MacMillan Place has 24 units with a Target RGI of 20 and 4 Market