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20 1 6 WA I T I NG L I S T S S URV E Y R E POR T

Introduction

1.

Rent-geared-to-income (RGI) assistance is a housing subsidy that is administered by local and regional governments (service managers) across

Ontario. To be eligible for RGI housing, applicants must have an income that is below the Household Income Limits for the local area, which are set

out in Regulation 370/11 of

Ontario’s Housing Services Act

. By receiving RGI, renter households are able to pay rent based on 30 per cent of the

household’s gross monthly income (except for tenants receiving social assistance, who pay rent based on the shelter allowance amount defined by the

Ontario government). The majority of RGI subsidies are tied to units in social housing (provided by public, non-profit, and co-operative organiza-

tions), though some subsidies are available for units in the private rental market.

2.

In 1993, the federal government announced it would no longer fund any new social housing. In 1995, the newly-elected Ontario Government can-

celled the provincial housing program. 1996 to 2000 marked the first extended period in 50 years during which there was no funding for new social or

affordable housing in Ontario. ONPHA,

Timeline: A History of Social Housing in Ontario, 2015

.

3.

Waiting list data was extracted for the period beginning on January 1, 2015 and concluding on December 31, 2015. This number represents applicants

recorded in a service manager’s database as “eligible,” “active,” or “on offer.” 2015 data is based on responses from 45 of the 47 service managers,

with substitutions used for the City of Ottawa and the County of Oxford (figures used in the

2015 Waiting List Survey Report

were inflated based on

the provincial rate of growth for waiting lists in 2015).

4.

In 2003, 126,103 households were registered on RGI waiting lists in Ontario. ONPHA,

2015 Waiting Lists Survey Report

, May 2015, p. 7

5.

The average wait time for chronological (non-priority) households in the City of Toronto, for example, was 8.4 years in 2015.

6.

From 1996 to 2006, 26,000 new rental units were constructed in Ontario. In the same period, 112,000 rental units were lost due to conversion to

homeownership or demolition – resulting in a net loss of 86,000 rental units. ONPHA and CHFC Ontario Region,

Where’s Home?

, 2013, p. 20

7.

“Rental demand in Ontario is likely to increase by 15,000 to 20,000 households annually due to the turn in the ownership market, ongoing popula-

tion growth, and immigration.”

Ibid

.

8.

With the introduction of the

Housing Services Act, 2011

, the Ontario Government directed service managers to pursue local strategies to housing

challenges in their communities.

9.

ONPHA has profiled a number of these service manager initiatives in previous Waiting Lists Survey Reports.

The Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association

(ONPHA) began collecting data from waiting

lists for rent-geared-to-income housing

(RGI housing)

1

in 2003. At the time, Ottawa

and Queen’s Park had vastly reduced their

housing investments

2

, even though demand

for affordable housing was growing. While

the economy boomed and housing markets

soared, thousands of Ontarians struggled to

keep a roof over their heads.

Many of these households joined housing

waiting lists in the hopes of finding relief

from high housing costs. Until recently, RGI

housing – where households pay rent based

on 30 per cent of their gross income – was

the predominant form of housing assistance

for low and moderate-income Ontarians. By

summarizing and reporting annual data from

waiting lists across the province, ONPHA

helped spark a conversation about the urgent

need for affordable rental housing.

Since 2003, demand for RGI housing has

skyrocketed. This year, we learned that 171,360

households are waiting for help in Ontario

3

an increase of more than 45,000 households

in little over a decade

4

. Average provincial wait

times for housing have climbed to nearly four

years, and are significantly longer in many

cities

5

. The increase in applicants and wait

times is fueled by several factors: population

growth, low vacancy rates, and low levels of

rental housing production

6

, despite strong

demand

7

.

Approaches to tackling unaffordable housing

have also changed, resulting in a renewed

focus on “local solutions to local problems.”

Municipal and regional service managers,

who are responsible for administering and

delivering most of the province’s housing and

homelessness services, are also tasked with

developing strategies to meet the housing

needs of their communities

8

. The result has

been a range of unique housing programs that

are innovative and effective

9

, but difficult to

compare across jurisdictions.