The Process
You want to apply for subsidized housing in Ottawa. Here is how it works:
The Steps
Applicants specify which buildings they prefer and their unique needs (like family size and accessibility requirements)
The Registry assesses for any priorities and places the applicants on the relevant housing provider lists (see “Assigned Priorities” for details)
When a unit becomes available, the housing provider offers it to the application that best matches the unit (based on legislated rules)
As applicants update their needs, we update the lists
You are entitled to one (1) offer of housing. If you decline the offer, your file will be cancelled and you will have to reapply with a new application date to await another offer.
If you are offered and choose to accept an Affordable Housing (AH) or supportive housing unit, your application for rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing will remain active.
Eligibility
Here are the eligibility requirements for applying for subsidized housing in Ottawa:
- At least one (1) person in your household is 16 years of age or older
- You are able to live independently and make your own arrangements for support services
- All members of your household are Canadian citizens, landed immigrants, or refugee or refugee claimants
- No member of the household owes money to a social housing provider in Ontario or you have an agreement to repay this money
- No members of your household are currently under a deportation, departure, or exclusion order to leave Canada
- Your income and assets are within the allowable limits*
- No members of your household have been convicted of an offence in relation to rent-geared-to-income assistance or found by a court of law or the Landlord and Tenant Board to have misrepresented their income for the purpose of obtaining housing assistance
- You agree to sell any house you own within 180 days of being housed through this process
*New Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) Rules
The Province of Ontario introduced the requirement to have limits on how much you own and how much you earn as of July 1, 2023. These are called Asset Limits and Household Income Limits (HILs).
The new rules mean that people with household assets or income over the limit will not be eligible for RGI housing. This applies to people on the wait list with The Registry and households currently receiving RGI assistance.
The asset limits in the City of Ottawa are $50,000 for a single person household and $75,000 for households with two or more people. The income limits are shown in the table below.
| Number of Bedroom(s) | Household Income Limits (HIL) |
| 1-Bedroom | $53,000 |
| 2-Bedroom | $63,500 |
| 3-Bedroom | $74,500 |
| 4-Bedroom or greater | $92,500 |
To be eligible to apply for Affordable Housing units, your household income must fall within certain limits set by the City of Ottawa. We can help you determine whether you meet this requirement.
Assigned Priorities
Applicants for subsidized housing who meet certain criteria may be assigned priority status.
If you believe you qualify for one of the four types of priority statuses outlined below, please contact our team before or after submitting your application. One of our caring staff will provide more information and whatever forms are required. You may also be invited to a confidential interview to discuss your situation.
In addition to these Local Priority Access Statuses (LPAS), the Province of Ontario has legislated a Special Provincial Priority (SPP) for victims of abuse and human trafficking and another for over housed households.
Special Priority
Your application may qualify for Special Priority status if you or someone in your household is being abused by a family member that you have lived with in the past three months, even if you don’t live with that person anymore; and/or if you are planning to permanently separate yourself from the abuser. We will need a document or letter from one of the following to help prove your personal safety is at risk:
- doctor
- lawyer
- law enforcement officer
- religious leader (e.g., priest, rabbi, imam)
- teacher
- guidance counsellor
- community health worker
- social worker
- social service worker
- victim services worker
- settlement services worker
- shelter worker
- manager of your current social housing organization
Local Priority Access Status (LPAS) – Urgent Safety
Your application may qualify for Local Priority Access Status – Urgent Safety if you or someone in your household is currently being abused by a family member or by a former partner that you have not lived with in the past three months; and/or if moving to a new home will make you safe because your personal safety or the safety of someone in your household is under ongoing or extraordinary threat. We will need a document or letter from one of the following to help prove your personal safety is at risk:
- doctor
- lawyer
- law enforcement officer
- religious leader (e.g., priest, rabbi, imam)
- teacher
- guidance counsellor
- community health worker
- social worker
- social service worker
- victim services worker
- settlement services worker
- shelter worker
- manager of your current social housing organization
If you are given Local Priority Access Status – Urgent Safety, you will have to select 30% of all available rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing available across Ottawa that are suitable for your family size during the first year of your wait. After one year, you will have to select 50% of all available RGI housing.
Local Priority Access Status (LPAS) – Life Threatening Medical
Your application may qualify for Local Priority Access Status – Life-Threatening Medical if you or someone in your household has a terminal illness or life-threatening medical condition that is made worse by your current housing situation. A licensed physician will need to complete a special form to outline how the life-threatening aspect of your condition would be improved if you change housing.
If you are given Local Priority Access Status – Life-Threatening Medical, you will have to select 30% of all available rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing available across Ottawa that are suitable for your family size during the first year of your wait. After one year, you will have to select 50% of all available RGI housing.
Local Priority Access Status (LPAS) – Homeless
Your application may qualify for Local Priority Access Status – Homeless if you are living in an emergency shelter for the homeless or living rough with no shelter (e.g., living in cars, tents, makeshift shelters). Staying temporarily with friends or family does not qualify.
If you are given Local Priority – Homeless, you will be placed on the lists of all housing providers.
Selection
When a rent-geared-to-income (RGI) unit becomes available, the housing provider offers it to the application that best matches the unit.
Based on legislated rules, they must follow this order:
1st selection: first person on their list with a Special Provincial Priority (SPP) for victims of abuse and human trafficking
2nd selection: first person on their list with a Provincial Over housed Priority
3rd selection: first person on their list with Local Priority Access Status (LPAS)
If applicants with these priorities are not on the list, the housing provider draws names in chronological order based on the date of their application.
Applicants will only get one (1) offer of rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing:
- If you accept the offer from an RGI housing provider, your file will be closed. If you later wish to move to another community, you must reapply through The Registry with a new application date.
- If you decline the offer from an RGI housing provider, your file will be cancelled and you will have to reapply with a new application date to await another offer. This would not affect any applications you have submitted for Affordable Housing (AH) or supportive housing.
When an Affordable Housing (AH) unit becomes available, the housing provider offers it to the next applicant based on chronological order of application. No priorities apply.
When a supportive housing unit becomes available, the housing provider offers it to the next applicant whose needs best match the supports in that unit.
The Registry has no way of knowing when units become available or when housing providers are able to make you an offer.
While The Registry supports applicants, it does not operate or offer affordable housing itself. Our caring team can provide you with information on emergency shelters and short-term housing options in the Ottawa area. (See Related Supports for links to local services)
What to Expect After Applying
You need to contact The Registry as soon as anything in your situation changes, such as your phone number, address, family size, or accessibility needs. Failure to provide these updates may result in the cancellation of your application.
Even if nothing has changed in your details, we need to hear from you at least once a year just to keep your application active.
It can take 5+ years for applicants to get subsidized housing. Far more people need an affordable place to live than there are available options. The supply of subsidized housing simply is not keeping up with the number of people who need it.
The time you wait may be shorter if you are flexible about which buildings you prefer and your unique needs. You might qualify for a priority that could get you housing sooner: see Assigned Priorities for details. Other than that, there is nothing you or anyone else can do to make an offer come faster.
Since the list of people awaiting subsidized housing in Ottawa is very long, we encourage applicants to make other arrangements in the meantime. Our caring team can provide you with information on emergency shelters and short-term housing options in the Ottawa area.
See Related Supports for links to local services.
You can also contact the City of Ottawa for information.