Housing stability services
The Government of Ontario's Homelessness Prevention Program helps prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless by helping to obtain and maintain stable housing. Funding is available to eligible residents of Oxford County.
The Homelessness Prevention Program may be able to help with:
- Overdue or unpaid utility bills
- Overdue or unpaid rent
- Last month’s rent
Funds are provided on a case-by-case basis and are based on family size and income.
To apply, please contact your County caseworker. If you do not have a caseworker, contact Human Services at 519-539-9800 ext. 3390 or humanservices@oxfordcounty.ca.
The County's current COHB allocation has now been fully committed.
The Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) is a rent supplement supported with funding from the federal and provincial governments that provides households with a portable housing benefit to assist with rental costs in the private rental housing market.
The COHB is a referral-based program. Human Services identifies households that may be eligible according to provincial program guidelines. If you have been deemed eligible to receive an offer for COHB, you will be contacted by a Coordinator of Housing Services inviting you to apply for the program.
The COHB provides a set amount of money directly to recipients to help with rent costs. It can be used to pay for rent anywhere in Ontario. The amount is based on total household income and average market rent in the recipient’s area, not on the rent the recipient pays.
The COHB is designed to support vulnerable households and is an alternative to rent-geared to income housing (RGI). Unlike RGI, recipients do not have to live in community housing to qualify. Households cannot receive both RGI and COHB at the same time.
The COHB is based on the difference between 30% of your income and 80% of the average market rent in the area where you currently live; however, this benefit can be used to live anywhere in Ontario, including where you live now.
Funding is available through the County's efforts to create new affordable housing, providing a monthly supplement for tenants in eligible units. This rental supplement will be offered for up to 12 months. County staff will calculate the amount you will be eligible for and work with your landlord to ensure regular monthly payment.
Program eligibility: limited to applicants who are currently housed in an eligible market-rent unit, or who hold a valid lease for an eligible market-rent unit. The County does not have vacant units available for this program and does not secure or create new units for rent supplement purposes.
Please note that the Rent Supplement Program is currently at capacity, and we cannot process new rent supplement applications. You may submit an application for RGI housing and continue to check this page for updates about the Rent Supplement Program.
This is a one-time emergency financial assistance to pay an electricity bill up to $500 per household, per year. This program is delivered by the Woodstock Salvation Army.
Learn more on the Ontario Energy Board website.
Community supports
Legal services
- Elgin-Oxford Legal Clinic: a community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario that provides legal advice, helps with filling out forms, represents at some tribunals and courts and/or refers to other agencies.
Food and clothing
- ClothingWorks: relies on community support, such as donations of high-quality clothing and the skills and time of dedicated staff and volunteers, to provide job seekers with the clothing and confidence they need to make the best possible first impression with potential employers.
- Community meals: There are many community meals in Oxford County. The Oxford County Community Health Centre creates a monthly meal calendar. To view the calendar, please visit the website.
- Food banks: Visit Southwest Public Health website for more information about local food programs and services.
Health and well-being
Mobile Health Outreach Bus (MHOB): works in collaboration with several community agencies to provide various mobilesupports and resources to individuals experiencing homelessness and those who lack access to primary care or feel unsafe accessing traditional care.
Agencies include:
- Outreach & Primary Care (OCCHC)
- Community Access Navigator (Oxford County Human Services)
- Caseworker (Oxford County Human Services)
- Addiction & Mental Health Workers (CMHATV)
- Harm reduction and outreach workers (RHAC)
- Peer support workers (CMHATV)
- Woodstock Fire Department