Frequently asked questions

Transcription

1 Frequently asked questions 1. What is the address of the new building with affordable rental units? Toronto Community Housing is opening a building at (River/ Dundas St. E). 2. Why is Toronto Community Housing holding a random draw for affordable rental units? Processes for the allocation of affordable housing units must be fair and transparent. To ensure that everyone has an equal chance of renting a unit, Toronto Community Housing will be holding a random draw to allocate the new affordable rental units. 3. How does a random draw work? The City of Toronto will oversee a process to randomly assign a number to each submitted application that meets all eligibility requirements. The Random Selection List will be sorted so that the application with the smallest assigned number will be offered the first unit. The applicant with the second smallest assigned number will be offered the second unit. This will continue until all units are accepted by applicants. For a two year period, the Random Selection List will be used to fill affordable housing vacant units at 4. Will TCHC contact me once the draw is done? Direct contact will only be made with applicants at the top of the LIST. 5. Will there be parking for me at? There will be no parking available at for affordable units. 6. What makes these units affordable? These affordable housing rental units are funded in part through the provincial Investment in Affordable Housing Program (IAH). The IAH program requires that rents not exceed 80% of the Average Market Rent for each unit type as established by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the City of Toronto. 7. Who is eligible to apply for these units? 1

2 All members of the applicant household must have status in Canada. They must be either: a Canadian citizen; a permanent resident of Canada or has applied for permanent resident status; or a refugee claimant or Convention refugee. Applicants in Canada under a student/visitor visa or work permit are not eligible for an affordable housing unit under this program. To qualify for an affordable housing rental unit, the annual before tax income (gross) of all members of the household cannot exceed four times the annual rent of the unit they are applying for. For 2018, the income threshold for units at 110 River Street is listed below: Bedroom Size Monthly rent (utilities included) Minimum gross household income per year Maximum gross household income limit per year 1 bedroom $962 $11,544 $46,176 2 bedroom $1,141 $13,692 $54,768 3 bedroom $1,358 $16,296 $65, I am a Rent-Geared-to-Income (subsidized) tenant. Am I eligible for this unit? If meet the eligibility requirements set out in section 7 above, you can apply for an affordable housing unit. Prior to offering a unit, Toronto Community Housing will review each applicant's rental history. Please note that this is not a subsidized rental program (Rent-Geared-to- Income). Rent will not be calculated based on household income. Rent will be set as per the schedule in section 7 above. 9. How do I apply for the new affordable development? You must submit an Expression of Interest for Random Selection form within the 30-calendar-day timeframe specified. The deadline is firm. Applications submitted after the deadline will NOT be accepted. 2

3 10. Will I receive a confirmation when I send in my application? Yes. Once your name has been added to the list for your required bedroom size, you will receive a confirmation number. Only complete applications will receive a confirmation number. 11. What if I refuse the unit offered to me? If you refuse the unit offered to you, your name will be removed from the Random Selection list. 12. What if I own a house, a condo or a cottage? If the property you own can be lived in year round, you are not eligible for affordable rental units. To become eligible for an affordable rental unit, you must first sell your property. 13. If I am already in an affordable rental unit, can I apply for a transfer? You may not transfer from one affordable unit to another; however, you may apply for other affordable developments once the one-year lease for your current unit has expired. 14. What if one of the household members is no longer interested after submitting Expression of Interest for Random Draw? No changes are permitted to the members listed on Expression of Interest for Random Selection once it is submitted. 15. What if my income is just slightly higher than the limit, or I don t earn enough to cover the rent? If your household s income is higher than the income threshold (see section 7 above), you are not eligible for an affordable housing unit. If offered a unit, your income will be verified before you sign a lease. The same applies if you household s income is less than the monthly rent, you will not be eligible for the unit. 16. Do you require landlord references? Yes. Landlord references are very important in the approval process. 17. I have no rental history. Am I still eligible? Yes. Each individual case and circumstance are taken into consideration. 18. Do I have to have a guarantor? 3

4 Guarantors will only be considered for applicants who do not meet the credit check criteria, not for applicants who do not have enough income to cover the monthly occupancy costs. 19. How much time will I have to provide a guarantor? You will have two business days from the time you are notified that a guarantor is required. You will need to complete the necessary form and provide supporting documents 20. What if the guarantor is not approved? The guarantor will go through the same income/credit check. If the guarantor is not approved, you will have one more chance to find another guarantor and you will have an additional two business days to find an alternate guarantor. 21. How long is my guarantor obliged? Your guarantor is obliged for the duration of the tenancy. 22. Can I be approved if I am receiving social assistance? Yes, it is possible; however, each applicant will go through the same approval process. You must have enough income to cover the monthly occupancy cost. 23. If my income changes, and I can t afford to pay my affordable rent, am I able to get a subsidy in my current unit? You will not be able to get subsidy in your current affordable unit. 24. What will happen if someone contacts me and I don t respond by the deadline? If someone contacts you to offer you a unit, you will have five business days to respond with the completed application form. If you do not respond by the deadline, your name will be skipped from the Random Selection list and you will not be offered another unit or contacted again. 25. I am sponsoring my friends or family members. Can I rent a larger unit size? You cannot get a larger unit based on sponsorship. At the time of offer, you are eligible for the number of bedrooms based on your current household size according to current City of Toronto occupancy standards. Toronto's occupancy standards for these affordable housing units are: 4

5 adult household members who are spouses must share a bedroom. Two persons who live together are considered "spouses" if o the social and familial aspects of the relationship amount to cohabitation, and o one individual provides financial support to the other, or o the individuals have a mutual agreement or arrangement regarding their financial affairs. for adult household members other than spouses, a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of two (2) persons per bedroom for children under the age of 18, no less than one (1) and no more than two (2) persons per bedroom where the unit contains three (3) bedrooms or less for children under the age of 18, no less than one (1) and no more than three (3) persons per bedroom where the unit contains more than three (3) bedrooms, if the shared bedroom provides the minimum space required under the City's Municipal Code Property Standards. a single parent may share a bedroom with a child if the applicant wants to share. bachelor units are normally given to single persons. However, a two person family is eligible for a bachelor unit, if the applicant requests it. A two person family consists of either two spouses or a parent and child. 26. If I owe money to a different social housing provider, can I move into an affordable rental unit after signing a repayment agreement? Unfortunately, you cannot. You must first provide proof that you have paid your arrears in full. 27. I am a student and I only have OSAP to live on. Am I eligible? Yes, you may be eligible, but your application has to go through the approval process. We will use your non-educational funding amount as your income. 28. Will I have an opportunity to view the unit? No, you will have to base your decision on the unit floor plans provided to you by Toronto Community Housing staff. 5