Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing
Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) is a subsidy available for people who need assistance paying rent and is based on total gross monthly household income (before taxes and deductions). Typically, the rent of an RGI unit is calculated at 30% of a household’s total gross monthly income. RGI units are owned and operated by Oxford County and non-profit housing providers. The County administers the waiting list for all RGI units.
In accordance with the Housing Services Act, 2011, as of January 1, 2021, a household will be removed from all housing waitlists if they refuse an offer for a unit where the number of bedrooms meets the County’s occupancy standards, and/or the unit location was selected by the household on their application.
Eligibility requirements
Learn moreApplying for RGI
Learn moreMaintaining your RGI application
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Eligibility requirements
In order to apply for rent-geared-to-income housing:
- At least one member of a household must be 16 years old or older.
- Each member of a household must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or a refugee claimant.
- No immigration deportation order can have been made or become effective for any members of the household.
- No member of a household may owe unpaid rent, or money due to damages for another social housing unit.
- No member of a household can have a conviction for misrepresenting his or her income for a social housing application.
Lease and occupancy requirements
Only the people whose names are on a property lease may occupy, or live in, the housing unit (unless considered a dependent).
The lease or occupancy agreement must be signed by everyone on the lease whose income is used to calculate the cost of rent.
You cannot transfer or reassign a rent-geared-to-income lease or agreement or sublet a rent-geared-to-income unit to someone else. If anyone listed on the lease is no longer living in the unit, you must let Oxford County Human Services know.
Applying for RGI
There are several ways to apply for rent-geared-to-income housing:
- Complete the form online - Subsidized Housing Application
- Fill out an application form in person at any Human Services location
- Print the application form, or contact Oxford County Human Services to have an application mailed to you.
Your application will not be considered complete without also providing the following documents:
- Most Recent Notice of Assessment for each household member 18 years or older.
- Proof of Citizenship for all household members.
- Identification for any household member over the age of 16.
Wait times for an RGI unit are dependent on family composition, the number of bedrooms required, the number of selections made by the applicant, and whether the applicant requires accessible accommodations.
Oxford County Human Services provides priority access for housing to applicants whose personal safety, or whose family’s safety, is at risk because of abuse by a partner/spouse or other family member with whom they live in a familial relationship. Applicants in this situation receive priority access to permanent housing to enable them to permanently separate from the abuser.
Applicants can apply for Special Priority Status by completing a Special Priority Status Verification Document. All applications need to be returned in person to any Oxford County Human Services location or via email to humanservices@oxfordcounty.ca
Applicants may apply directly to each non-profit housing provider for a modified unit.
Human Services will also accept and process applications for modified units and will work with each housing provider to ensure equal access to all applicants.
Modified and supportive housing units may have:
- accessibility modifications for people who need help living on their own, for instance, wheelchair ramps; and/or
- provincially funded support services that help residents live independently in the community, such as an on-site support worker.
Some housing providers in Oxford County have referral agreements with support agencies. These organizations provide the support an applicant may need to live independently in the community.
These agencies have their own selection and placement criteria, but applicants must also meet Oxford County’s basic eligibility criteria. For more information, please contact the following support agencies directly:
- Canadian Mental Health Association-Oxford (CHMA): for persons requiring rent-geared-to-income housing with mental health support services.
- Ingersoll Support Services Inc.: support for clients with development disabilities within Ingersoll.
- Cheshire Homes: for clients with a physical disability requiring attendant care services for personal care, mobility assistance and housekeeping services.