Selection of Households for a Vacant Unit under the Cascading Age Policy (H-03-32)

Date: December 16, 2003

The policies and procedures in this Directive are to be implemented by housing providers funded by the Municipality under the following programs:

• Non-Profit Program
• Social Housing Registry
• Ontario Community Housing Assistance Program (OCHAP) 

Background

Under s.93 (d) of the Social Housing Reform Act, a housing provider is responsible for the final selection of
households to occupy vacant units in its housing projects. 

During the selection process for a vacant unit, each housing provider has discretion to offer or refuse a prospective applicant on the ground of the project’s mandate as prescribed by s.18 of O. Reg 339/01. In public housing, before devolution, the Ontario Housing Corporation Board allowed older adults under the age of 60 and between 60 and 65 to reside in senior buildings. Currently, all provincially reformed housing projects with senior mandates must accommodate seniors only over the age of 65 with exception of federal housing projects which are managed under the CMHC Agreements and house seniors over 60 and those individuals who are involuntarily retired from the work force and are at least 50 years of age.

Some of the housing providers have dual mandate as “seniors and disabled” and make their housing projects accessible to older low-income individuals and households who experience financial hardship and also permit specially designed barrier-free environment to be offered to persons with physical disabilities.

Under s. 37 (9) of Ontario Regulation 298/01 a preference for a housing project by a household applying for RGI assistance is ineffective and is not indicated on the waiting list, if no member of the household meets the requirements of the housing provider’s mandate under section 99 of the SHRA. Nevertheless, preferences of households which will meet the requirements of the provider’s mandate within a period of time specified by the Service Manager, may be accepted under subsection 9.1.

To meet the needs of housing providers with seniors mandate and to prevent vacancy loss in provider’s operations, the Service Manager has approved the Cascading Age Policy. Adoption of this policy by housing providers with seniors mandate is voluntary. By allowing a certain level of flexibility in selection of households with the cascading age, the Service Manager will not incur increased subsidy payable to housing providers due to vacancy losses in absence of eligible applicants 65 years old and over. 

Action to be taken

The Service Manager housing policy on the cascading age categories and supplementary dual mandate policy to accommodate broader housing needs and expand social housing options for seniors and those non-seniors considered traditionally disadvantaged is effective on January 1, 2004.

The cascading age housing policy applies to the central waiting list management by The Social Housing Registry and to the tenant selection process by the housing providers with seniors mandate.

• The Social Housing Registry will be providing subsidiary waiting lists with applicants 65 years old and over to housing providers with seniors mandate on a monthly basis or updated subsidiary waiting lists upon provider’s request.
• If the housing provider is unable to fill a vacant unit, The Social Housing Registry will be providing supplementary subsidiary waiting lists by cascading age categories 60-65 and 50-60 upon providers’ requests.
• Housing providers with senior mandates are allowed to select applicants from the subsidiary waiting lists by utilizing the cascading age categories as follows:

a. Select for a vacant unit eligible applicants 65 years and over as the first age category from the provider’s subsidiary list. A preference for a housing project with a senior mandate is effective and is indicated on this waiting list only for applicants 65 and
over.
b. Request from The Social Housing Registry a supplementary sublist to consider 60-65 years old as the second age category if the provider has no eligible seniors over 65 on the subsidiary list for a housing project with a senior mandate, or is experiencing multiple refusals in offering a vacant unit either from applicants, or by provider due to suitability.
c. Request from The Social Housing Registry a supplementary sublist to consider 50-60 years old as the third age category, if the housing provider is experiencing vacancy loss as a result of no eligible applicants and refusals in offering a vacant unit after he first two steps as described under (a) and (b) above have been followed, i.e. no applicants over 65 years of age and no suitable applicants between 60 and 65 years of age.

Provision “C” would permit preference in senior housing on the waiting list for those suitable applicants 60 and under who are economically disadvantaged and not in receipt of disability benefits. Housing providers would have discretion to do so based on the cascading age selection criteria as being approved by the Board. 

In absence of eligible applicants in the lower age category 50-60 years old, housing providers may consider the guidance of their Board in requesting from The Social Housing Registry a special sublist to accommodate younger high need applicants who are economically disadvantaged or experience economic hardship.

Flowchart on Selection of households for a vacant unit under the Cascading Age Policy is available upon request. 

Reference

• s. 93 (d) Provincial requirements for housing providers
• s. 14 Selection of households, O. Reg. 339/01
• s. 18 Refusal to offer, O. Reg. 339/01

Greg Grange
Manager, Social Housing Division

The following individuals have received a copy of this Directive:

• Lance Thurston, Commissioner, Department of Community Services
• Catherine Erickson/Marian VanBruinessen, County of Frontenac 
• Supervisors, Housing Division
• Alan McLeod, Legal Division 

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