Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing Eligibility
Effective July 1, 2023, in compliance with the Province of Ontario’s Housing Services Act, the City of Toronto is implementing household income and asset limits for new and existing applicants on the Centralized Waiting List (CWL). If your household is over the income or asset limit, you will be ineligible for a Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) subsidy.
To be eligible for Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- At least one member of the household is 16 years or older
- At least one member of the household can live independently, with or without support services
- Household income does not exceed the allowable limits as per the Housing Income Limits (HILs)
- Total household assets are within Asset Limit requirements
- Status in Canada for each member of the household. Acceptable status documents include one of the following:
- Canadian Citizen card
- permanent resident card
- proof of application for Canadian permanent resident status
- proof of status as a refugee claimant or Convention refugee
- Applicants are required to submit a Notice of Assessment for the previous taxation year prior to accepting an offer of housing (see Applying for RGI Housing)
- Household members who are 16 years and older do not owe money to a social housing provider and have no convictions related to RGI housing
Income & Household Size
To be eligible for an RGI subsidy in Toronto , your income may not exceed the local Housing Income Limits (HILs) established annually by the Province of Ontario .
The total income and number of individuals in the household will determine the size of the unit a household is eligible for.
Example: A household of four people ( one couple and two additional household members ) , whose total household income does not exceed $79,000 would be eligible for a two or three -bedroom unit. Reinstatement Policy to support applicants who experience an income reduction, the City is implementing an Income Reinstatement Policy that will allow applicants whose income falls below the Household Income Limits (HILs) within 24 months of the cancelation date to reapply and have their original application date reinstated. Applicants must meet all RGI eligibility requirements.
| Unit Size | Studio | 1-bedroom | 2-bedroom | 3-bedroom | 4-5 bedroom |
|---|
| Household Income Limits | $53,500 | $62,500 | $71,500 | $79,000 | $82,500 |
| Household size | 1 – 2 people (One individual or one couple) | 1 – 2 people |
Asset Limits
In compliance with the Province of Ontario’s Housing Services Act , households are required to disclose asset information that exceeds $150,000 when applying for RGI housing. If the value of your household assets exceeds the Asset Limit, you will be asked to complete the Asset Declaration.
The City determines if you are eligible for RGI based on the assets that have been disclosed on the Household Asset Declaration Form . If an asset is jointly owned with someone outside of the household, half of the value of the asset will be counted toward the Asset Limit.
If household members jointly own property, the applicants must declare their portion of the asset. The only exception to this rule is for Priority Access applicants in certain circumstances.
If the total value of your household’s non-exempt assets is greater than $150,000, you will not be eligible to receive Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) assistance.
Reinstatement Policy
Part of implementing the asset limit rule for RGI housing, the City reviews asset limits annually. If your household falls below the new asset limit within 24 months of being cancelled, you can reapply and request that your original application date be restored.
Last Updated: August 27, 2024
Required Inclusions for Asset Declaration
The following is a list of examples of assets you must declare on the Household Asset Declaration. This doesn’t include all the assets you are required to declare. See the “Exempt Assets” list for all assets that are not required to be declared. If your asset is not on the Exempt Assets list, it must be declared.
- property including but not limited to land, house, condominium, cottage, rental property, commercial property
- value of investments including but not limited to stocks, bonds, guaranteed investment certificates (GICs), index funds, and mutual funds, including foreign investments
- more than one motor vehicle per household member of driving age including but not limited to cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles
- value of cash including funds in bank accounts
- cash surrender value of life insurance policies that exceed $100,000 for the entire household
- value of business assets over $20,000 for a household member or business
- value of funds held in a Tax-free Savings Account (TFSA) that exceeds the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) current individual eligibility requirements
- value of trust funds of any household members with a disability that are over $100,000 for that household member
- value of a household members’ share of any assets, that are not exempt and are jointly held with other parties
Last Updated: August 27, 2024
Exclusions from Asset Declaration
The following assets are excluded from the total value of a household’s assets and are not required to be declared. If your household has any of these assets, they will not be counted towards the $150,000 asset limit for RGI eligibility.
- Personal Possessions
- one personal motor vehicle per household member (not used primarily for the operation of a business)
- value of clothing, jewelry, and other personal effects
- value of furnishings in the RGI unit used by the household, including decorative or artistic items not used primarily for the operation of a business
- value of a pre-paid funeral
- value of tools of a trade that are essential to the work of a member of the household as an employee
- value of assets of a member of the household that are necessary for the operation of a business that the member has an interest in, up to a maximum of $20,000 for that business
- value of funds held in a registered education savings plan (RESP) for a member of the household or a dependent of a member of the household
- value of funds held in a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP)
- value of funds held in a registered retirement income fund (RRIF)
- value of funds held in a Locked-In Retirement Account (LIRA)
- value of funds held in a Life Income Fund (LIF)
- value of funds held in a Life Retirement Income Fund (LRIF)
- Value of funds held in a Registered Pension Plan (RPP)
- value of funds held in Tax-free Savings Accounts (TFSA) that is within the Canada Revenue Agency’s individual eligibility requirements
- value of the proceeds of a loan taken against a life insurance policy that will be used for disability-related items or services
- value of the beneficial interest in a trust of a household member with a disability up to maximum value of $100,000 for that household member if the capital of the trust was derived from an inheritance or from the proceeds of a life insurance policy
- value of funds held in a registered disability savings plan (RDSP) – if the beneficiary of the plan is a member of the household
- value of all household assets if each member of the household is receiving basic financial assistance under the Ontario Works Act, 1997 or is receiving income support under the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997
- value of any portion of a payment received under the Ministry of Community and Social Services Act that will be used for the member’s post-secondary education within ten (10) years of its issuance, if the payment was received as the result of successful participation in the following program of activities:
- completion of a high school diploma
- development of employment-related skills
- further development of the person’s parenting skills
