Apply for Housing

Housing Services helps low to moderate income households with housing that is affordable and meets their needs.

Housing Services applicant portal

The Housing Services applicant portal makes it easy to apply for housing online. With the portal, you can:

  • Enter your information and attach documents
  • Receive email updates about your application
  • Update your contact information if it changes
  • Track the status of your application

Create an account

If you have already applied for housing, DO NOT create an account. You must email Housing Services for access to your file.

To get started, create an account for the Housing Services Applicant Portal. You will need:

  • A valid email address and Internet access
  • Approximately 30 minutes to complete the application. Your application automatically saves so you can come back and complete it later.
  • Identification and income documents. The portal accepts PDF, JPEG, JPG, BMP, PNG and GIF formats.

Your username is your email address. You can reset your password using your email.

For the best experience, use a desktop or laptop computer.

Your application

After completing your application, you will receive a confirmation email.

Housing Services will review your application and contact you if any information is missing. Reviews may take up to eight weeks.

All communication about your application will be sent by email from Niagara Region. Check your junk mail folder to ensure you don't miss important messages.

When you log into the portal, you will see if your application is incomplete, active or cancelled. You cannot see your place on the wait list.

Eligibility

To apply for housing, applicants must:

  • Declare all household income
  • Not owe rent or other fees to a former community housing provider
  • Be able to live independently, with or without support services
  • Have one member of the household that is 16 years of age or older

All members of the household must:

  • Be Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada or refugee claimants
  • Not be convicted of an offence related to rent-geared-to-income assistance in the last two years
  • Not have a removal order under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to leave Canada

Contact

Email Housing Services:

  • For questions or technical difficulties
  • To update your email address
  • To send documents not uploaded during the application process
  • To set up your portal account if you're already on the wait list

Forms to support your application

Request forms

If you need any of the following forms, call 905-980-6000.

Homeless status referral

If you're experiencing homelessness and working with an organization in Niagara, including Indigenous organizations, to find housing, ask for a homeless status referral from the organization you're working with.

Food resources

Find food banks, meal programs and emergency food resources in Niagara.

Document checklist

You will be required to include some of these documents with your application. Do not submit original documents.

Acceptable documents for proof of status in Canada

  • Canadian birth certificate
  • Canadian citizenship document, 8.5 x 11 paper form (both sides)
  • Permanent resident card (both sides)
  • Proof of application for permanent residency status
  • Record of landing
  • Convention refugee documentation
  • Refugee claimant form
  • Valid Canadian Passport
  • Status card issued by Indigenous Services Canada

Acceptable documents for proof of income

For each household member 16 years of age or older, you will need:

  • Proof of all sources of income and the amount
  • Proof of full-time attendance, if in school

Types of housing - info for applicants

Community Housing is not emergency housing and cannot house people immediately, no matter what the reason is for the housing difficulty. If you need emergency housing, call 211 for information about emergency shelters.

  • Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit

    The Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit is a monthly benefit that helps households afford rent in the private market. It pays the difference between 30 per cent of a household's income and the average market rent in the area.

    Applicants cannot apply directly to the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. Those on the wait list will be contacted by Housing Services and offered a subsidy based on program guidelines, available funding and space.

    Recipients of the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit must:

    • Agree to be removed from the wait list
    • Submit required documents each year for renewal
    • Contact the Ministry of Finance at 1-888-544-5101 or 1-800-263-7776
  • Co-operative housing

    Co-operative housing is run by the people that live there and residents are expected to take part in the operation of their co-op.

    You can do this by serving on the board of directors, joining a committee or helping in the maintenance of the property.

    Co-ops are a mix of market rent and rent-geared-to-income units.

    Some co-ops have pet restrictions.

  • Housing Allowance Program

    The Housing Allowance Program provides rent support to help with housing costs while waiting for a rent-geared-to-income unit. The amount depends on household income and the size of the unit they qualify for, up to the program maximum.

    Applicants cannot apply directly to the Housing Allowance Program. Those on the wait list will be contacted by Housing Services and offered a subsidy under the program, according to guidelines and as funding and spaces become available.

  • Non-profit housing

    Non-profit housing corporations are managed by a board of directors which can be made up of municipal councillors, interested community members and / or tenants.

    The communities are a mix of market rent and rent-geared-to-income units.

    Some non-profit communities have tenant associations that help the board of directors manage the residence.

  • Public housing

    The majority of public housing units are rent-geared-to-income.

    Public housing units also include a small number of mixed income communities, including affordable and market rents.

  • Rent Supplement Program

    The Rent Supplement Program provides lower income households that are on the wait list with a subsidy toward their rent with private landlords, through an agreement.

    The normal landlord / tenant relationship exists. The landlord is responsible for things like rent collection, maintenance, repairs and services that exist in the building.

    Households pay a portion of their rent (according to the program they are funded by) and the remainder is paid as a subsidy to the landlord by Housing Services. This helps pay the difference up to the agreed market rent for the unit.

    Applicants cannot apply directly to the Rent Supplement Program. Those on the wait list will be contacted by Housing Services and offered a subsidy under the program, according to guidelines and as funding and spaces become available.

    Recipients of the Housing Allowance Program must:

    • Notify Housing Services when anyone plans to move in or out of the household
    • Maintain an active application on the wait list
    • Comply with applicable legislation (Residential Tenancies Act 2006, Housing Services Act 2011) and with the terms of their lease
    • Provide Housing Services with income verification on an annual basis or as required when the household income / composition changes
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