Offers and Refusals of an RGI Unit by Households (H-20-01)

Date: January 1, 2020

This Directive is to be implemented by Housing Providers listed under the following programs in Schedule 1 of O. Reg. 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

Background

O. Reg. 367/11, section 32.2 states that a household would no longer be eligible for rent-geared-to-income (RGI) assistance if a household refuses an offer from the Service Manager for assistance in a unit where the unit meets the Service Manager’s occupancy standards and is in a housing project for which the household has expressed a preference, provided that:

• The offer must be for assistance in a unit that meets the Service Manager’s occupancy standards and is in a housing project for which the household has expressed a preference.
• If a household refuses an offer for a portable housing benefit (PHB) it would not be considered as a refusal under this rule.
• Service Managers may determine that a household remains eligible if the Service Manager is satisfied that there are extenuating circumstances.

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

If a household is on the Housing Provider’s RGI Internal Transfer List (ITL) and the CWL for the same project and they are offered a unit within that project, the rules for offers and refusals shall apply regardless of which list is used to make the offer.

This provincial rule applies to offers accepted and refused by:

• applicant households on the CWL; and
• over housed households on the CWL or ITL after 12 months of being deemed over housed as set out in Directive H-20-02, Over Housed Households; and
• RGI households on the ITL who are also applicant households on the CWL for the same project.

Action to be taken

Current RGI households in this service area may apply to the CWL to be added to all subsidiary lists for which they are eligible including projects managed by their current Housing Provider and regardless if they are on the RGI ITL for the same project.

The Social Housing Registry (Registry) shall provide a list of all addresses to all RGI households on the CWL residing in a unit managed by a Housing Provider in this service area so that they may request to change their areas of preference to include projects managed by their current Housing Provider if they so choose. 

Housing Providers shall advise all current RGI households on their ITL that they may apply to the CWL for projects managed by the Housing Provider. The household may remain on the ITL as allowed by the Housing Provider’s internal transfer policy.

Offers of an RGI unit

1. Housing Providers must make reasonable efforts to contact households to offer a unit and provide a minimum of 48 hours for the household to respond to the initial offer.
2. Once the household has viewed the unit, Housing Providers must allow households at least 24 hours to accept or refuse the unit if requested by the household.
3. Housing Providers must advise the household that the refusal of an internal transfer offer will count as a refusal if the household is on the CWL for that same project.
4. If an internal transfer offer is accepted in the same project that the household has also selected on the CWL, the Registry will remove the household from the CWL.
5. Housing Providers shall complete a “Notice of Acceptance of an RGI Unit” form or “Notice of Refusal of an RGI Unit by Household” form each time a unit is offered from either the ITL or CWL.
6. Housing Providers shall forward to the Registry within 5 business days of acceptance, the “Notice of Acceptance of an RGI Unit” form and all “Notice of Refusal of an RGI Unit by Household” forms related to that unit.
7. Upon refusal of the 1st offer of a RGI unit, the Registry will follow the internal review process and the household may be deemed ineligible for RGI assistance and their name removed from the CWL.
8. If a household refuses an offer of a RGI unit but they also have a PHB selected as a preference, all RGI housing preferences will be removed from their application but their name will remain on the CWL until an offer of PHB occurs.
9. If a household refuses an offer of a PHB unit but they also have a RGI unit(s) selected as a preference, the PHB will be removed from the application but their name will remain on the CWL until an offer of a RGI unit occurs.

The Registry shall maintain and revise, as necessary, the internal forms related to this Directive and shall provide electronic copies of the forms to Housing Providers.

Reference

• Housing Services Act, 2011, section 42 - Limits of local rules
• O. Reg. 367/11, section 32.2 – Cessation of eligibility – refusal of offer
• O. Reg. 367/11, section 46-51 - System requirements — centralized waiting list
• Directive H-20-02, Over Housed Households Directive H-16-01, Internal Reviews Conducted by Housing Providers

Ruth Noordegraaf
Director, Housing & Social Services Department

The following have received a copy of this Directive:

• Lanie Hurdle, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Kingston
• Alan McLeod, Acting Director, Legal Services & City Solicitor
• Housing Programs Administrators, Housing Department
• Jannette Amini, County of Frontenac

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