Housing Application

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

Steps to complete a housing application

Step 1: Write down your housing selections before you start your application

Step 2: Start your housing application online. The application process will take at least 30 minutes.

  • Once you start the application, you must complete it. You cannot save and return to it later.
  • Every person listed on the application that is 16 years of age or older must sign the application. Make sure everyone is available to sign the form.

Step 3 - Send supporting documentation. Information is provided after you submit your application.

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

Learn what happens after you apply for housing.

Video: How to Apply for Community Housing

Other ways to apply

  • Pick up an application at Niagara Region Headquarters
  • Call 905-980-6000 to have one mailed to you
  • Appelez au 905-980-6000 pour recevoir un formulaire de demande en français par la poste

Completed paper applications can be faxed to 905-935-0476 or mailed / dropped off at Niagara Region Headquarters.

Forms to support your application

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

Request for special priority status: For a person being abused by someone they live with or have lived with in the past three month.

Request for urgent status: For a person with physical limitations and compromised health because the building where they live requires them to climb stairs or where an individual's situation puts them at extreme risk or causes extreme hardship.

Request for homelessness status: For a household without a permanent residence.

General forms

  • Request for an additional bedroom
  • Request for an accessible unit
  • Application to move in with a current tenant / member

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

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.

  • 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.

  • 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 and housing allowance programs

    Rent Supplement and Housing Allowance Programs are agreements where households with lower incomes can receive a subsidy towards their rent for units rented with private landlords.

    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.

    Depending on the program, the household may receive a subsidy directly from Housing Services and will be responsible to pay the full market rent to the landlord.

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