Rent-Geared-to-Income Internal Transfer Policy (H-16-05)

Date: February 18, 2016

This Directive is to be implemented by Housing Providers listed under the following programs in Schedule 1 of Ontario Regulation 367/11:

• 1 (a) – Local Housing Corporation
• 2 (a) and 2 (b) – Rent Supplement Programs
• 6 (a) – Non-Profit Program
• 6 (b) – Non-Profit Co-Op Program
• Social Housing Registry

Directives archived and replaced with this directive

• Directive H-13-10, Rent-Geared-to-Income Internal Transfer Policy

Background

O. Reg. 367/11, section 47, and Directive H-13-04, Selection of a Household for a vacant rent-geared-to-income unit prescribe the rules for selection of a household for a vacant rent-geared-to-income unit.

O. Reg. 367/11, subsection 47 (5) states the Housing Provider may select an rent-geared-to-income household that currently occupies a unit within the Housing Provider’s portfolio that has requested a transfer to another unit managed by the Housing Provider regardless if the household is on the Centralized Waiting List.  Subsection 47 (6) states that in selecting a household from the Housing Provider’s Internal Transfer List, the Housing Provider must offer the unit first to a household with Special Priority status.

O. Reg. 367/11, section 46 (1) allows all households deemed eligible for rent-geared-to-income assistance to be added to all subsidiary waiting lists on the Centralized Waiting List.

Action to be taken

Internal Transfer Policy and Internal Transfer List apply only to current rent-geared-to-income households that make a request to their Housing Provider to move from their current rent-geared-to-income unit to another rent-geared-to-income unit managed by the same Housing Provider.

The Internal Transfer Policy must include a category for Special Priority Households ranked above all other households on the Internal Transfer List.  The policy may include any other priorities and must include any criteria required by the Housing Provider for approval of an internal transfer.  The policy must also include the rules regarding offers and refusals of a unit as set out in Directive H-13-05, Offers and Refusals of a rent-geared-to-income unit by Households.

All households that are currently on the Housing Provider’s Internal Transfer List and households that request an internal transfer must be advised that, regardless if they are approved for an internal transfer, may apply to the Social Housing Registry to be added to all waiting lists on the centralized waiting list for which they are eligible, including units managed by their current Housing Provider. Housing Providers must amend or develop their rent-geared-to-income internal transfer policy to meet the requirements set out in this Directive and must provide a copy to the Service Manager within Ninety days of release this Directive.

Special priority households

Rent-geared-to-income households that request Special Priority status must be referred to the Social Housing Registry to complete the request and to determine eligibility for Special Priority status.  The Social Housing Registry will notify the Housing Provider if the household requests to be transferred to the Housing Provider’s Internal Transfer list, and the household has been granted Special Priority status. The household must be added to the internal transfer list with priority over all other households on the internal transfer list and will be ranked chronologically based on the date that they applied for Special Priority status. Households with Special Priority status are not subject to any internal eligibility criteria.

Other priorities

Housing Providers may establish other priorities, such as urgent medical and may establish eligibility criteria, such as medical verification and no current tenant arrears, based on their portfolio and household needs.  These households should be advised that they would not have the same priority on the Centralized Waiting List should they apply with the Social Housing Registry.

Over housed households

Housing Providers may allow a priority for over housed households on their internal transfer list.  Housing Providers must follow the process for over housed households as set out in Directive H-16-04, Over Housed Households.

Other households

Housing Providers may determine that households, that request an internal transfer and who do not meet the criteria for a priority within the Internal Transfer Policy, will not be added to the internal transfer list.  These households must be advised that they can apply to the Registry to have their name added to all waiting lists on the centralized waiting list for which they are eligible, including projects managed by their current Housing Provider.

Market rent households

Housing Providers shall not include market rent households on the rent-geared-to-income Internal Transfer List.  Market rent households include households where the subsidy has been revoked after paying market rent for twelve consecutive months and which were originally housed in a rent-geared-to-income unit.  A rent-geared-to-income household paying market rent for less than twelve consecutive months is still considered a rent-geared-to-income household.

Offers – acceptances and refusals

Housing Providers shall advise all households on their internal transfer list that the refusal of an internal transfer offer will count as a refusal by the Registry if the household is on the centralized waiting list for that same project with the exception of over housed households in the first twelve months.

Housing Providers must advise the Social Housing Registry of all acceptances and refusals of an internal transfer with the exception of offers made to over housed households in the first twelve months as set out in Directive H-13-05 Offers and Refusals of a Rent-Geared-to-Income Unit by Households.

Reference

As listed in the five points below:

• O. Reg. 367/11, section 46 - System requirements — centralized waiting list
• O. Reg. 367/11, section 47 - System requirements — selection of rent-geared-to-income households for vacant units
• Directive H-13-04, Selection of a Household for a vacant rent-geared-to-income Unit
• Directive H-13-05, Offers and Refusals of an rent-geared-to-income Unit by Households
• Directive H-16-04, Over Housed Households

Sheldon Laidman, MCIP RPP
Director, Housing & Social Services Department

The following have received a copy of this Directive:

• Lanie Hurdle, Commissioner, Community Services
• Jannette Amini, County of Frontenac
• Susan Nicholson, Director, Legal Services & City Solicitor
• Housing Programs Administrators, Housing & Social Services Department

If you have any questions, please contact a Housing Programs Administrator, Housing and Social Services Department.