Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Subsidized housing is housing in which the rent you pay is determined by your income.

Subsidized or “rent-geared-to-income” (RGI) rents are about 30% of your gross monthly household income.  For example, if your household earns $1,500 gross per month, then your basic subsidized rent could be about $500.  Adjustments to your rental amount are made depending on what utilities are included or not included in the rent.  As well, depending on your situation, you may have other deductions and allowances.  Rental amounts are reviewed once per year based on line 23600 of the Notice of Assessment.

If you receive social assistance such as Ontario Works or ODSP, rent is charged at a set amount according to the kind of benefits you receive and the number of people in your benefit unit, rather than calculated as 30% of your gross monthly income.  Your rental amount is taken from tables provided by the government.

Utilities and parking costs are not always included in the rental cost of a unit. 

There are several ways to get an application for subsidized housing.  You can pick one up at our offices in Parry Sound or South River, you can call and ask for one to be mailed to you or you can download one here.

Social housing is one part of the housing continuum.  It includes not-for-profit housing that is owned and managed by municipal government or a District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB), or by community organizations.  It provides affordable housing for people whose income, age, social needs or health needs may prevent them from finding adequate and appropriate housing in the private rental market.

Municipal Non-Profits
In the District of Parry Sound, the Parry Sound District Housing Corporation is the Local Housing Corporation (LHC).  The Parry Sound DSSAB is the sold shareholder of the corporation.

There are two other non-profits in the District.  Parry Sound Non-Profit Housing Corporation offers both family units and units just for seniors.  Golden Sunshine Municipal Non-Profit in Powassan houses just seniors.  Both of these housing providers are run of a Board of Directors.

Federal Non-Profts
The downloading of social housing to municipalities in 2001 also included some federal projects.  In the District of Parry Sound, there are two federal buildings.  Fell Homes in Burk’s Falls is for seniors 65 and up.  Georgian Bay Native Non-Profit Housing in Parry Sound was built under Urban Native/Aboriginal Housing and offers family units.  Unlike the other non-profits, federal non-profits are not part of the Centralized Waitlist and are not covered by the Housing Services Act 2011.  People who want to apply to either of these buildings should contact the housing provider directly for an application.

Please refer to details of housing units for further information about individual buildings.

Rent Supplement Programs
Rent supplements are a form of social housing whereby units owned by both private sector landlords and non-profit housing providers are subsidized for residents who cannot afford market rent.  Tenants pay a rent-geared-to-income (RGI) portion directly to the landlord, and the rent supplement program bridges the gap between the actual market rent for the unit and the tenant’s RGI amount.

There are a limited number of rent supplements available in the District of Parry Sound, and none are currently available.

Private Non-Profits
These housing providers are usually developed and managed by service clubs, ethnic organizations or faith communities.  There are currently no private non-profits in the District of Parry Sound.

Co-operative (Co-op) Housing
People who live in Co-operative Housing form a Board of Directors and contribute their time to the management and day-to-day operation of the co-op.  There are no co-operatives in the District of Parry Sound.

For full contact information please click HERE

Special Needs Housing means housing for people who require accessibility modifications.  In the District of Parry Sound there are a limited number of units modified to accommodate persons with physical disabilities.   For the location of these units and further details, please refer to this modified unit chart.

Supportive Housing means housing that includes provincially-supported or private services that allow a tenant to live independently in the community.  Extra supports are necessary because the tenant is living with a mental illness, a physical or developmental disability, an addiction, has been homeless, or a victim of abuse.

The Parry Sound DSSAB itself does not have any supportive housing units.  However, there are housing providers in the District that do offer services to its residents.  Please refer to this list of alternative housing providers.

These are the basic eligibility requirements for applying for subsidized or rent-geared-to-income (RGI).

Homeowners may be eligible for social housing provided they sell their property within six months of accepting an offer of accommodation and the amount earned from the sale does not exceed asset limits.

Applicants for social housing have a number of responsibilities:

  • To notify our offices of any changes to your information in order to maintain your eligibility status;
  • To annually confirm your interest in remaining on the waiting list for housing.

Applicants must notify our offices when there are changes to any of the following:

  • Your address or phone number
  • The locations you chose on your application
  • The number of people in your household
  • Contact person on your application
  • Household income
  • You are required to declare gross income (before any deductions) from all income sources for all household members.
  • “Income”: includes all income, benefits, and gains you receive or may be entitled to, of any kind and from any source.
  • You are required to declare all income, even though some types of income may not be used to calculate your rent-geared-to-income rent.
  • Please refer to our Definition of Income Information Sheet for further details.
  • If you are on the waiting list and need to update your information please Contact Us.

In the District of Parry Sound, there are one, two, three and four-bedroom units available.

The wait for subsidized housing in the District of Parry Sound continues to be long.  Generally, wait times depend on several factors:

  • Size of unit required.
  • Number of building choices an applicant makes.  More options may lead to more chances for an available unit.
  • The turnover rates within the specific buildings selected on your application. Different buildings have different turnover rates, and some have more frequent vacancies than others.
  • A maximum of one offer of housing will be made based on your building selections.
  • If the offer is refused, the applicant is removed from the list with the option to re-apply.
  • If you still wish to be on the waiting list for social housing, you will need to reapply.  You will be placed at the end of the list with a new waiting list date.  It is important to select buildings where you really want to live.

Once you are housed, you are taken off all building waiting lists. If you want to move, you will have to begin the application process again with a brand new application date. This is why it is important that you choose your locations carefully.

  • We cannot tell an applicant what number they are on a waiting list.  Once you are eligible and placed on the centralized waiting list, your name is placed on the waiting lists of all of the buildings you have chosen.
  • The housing providers of your chosen buildings will only get your name from their waiting lists when you are near the top of the list.
  • How many buildings you chose on your application will determine how many waiting lists you are on.  You will likely be at a different ranking number on each list.

Please see the Occupancy Standards as established by the Service Manager.

  • Singles who are aged 65 years or older and couples where at least one person is aged 65 or older, can live in senior’s buildings.
  • Applicants can go on the waiting list when they are 64.  But they won’t move on the list until they are 65.
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