OK! Because @TOAdamVaughan keeps saying that there is support for renters through the Canada Housing Benefit, I am going to live tweet me trying to apply for it, and just see how it goes.

Ok, step one: I know what the program is called "Canada Ontario Housing Benefit" so I will google that and see what I get. Hopefully an application portal? Umm, no.

Well, I don't live in Durham, but maybe this first link will direct me to the portal so I click...

And this takes me to a PDF, one that lays out who (at least in Durham) is able to apply for the benefit.

Apparently it is people who are on the waiting list for social housing in Durham. This makes sense, but it's not me, so Iet's keep looking.

Further down there is a link to a press release for #Hamilton and the #COHB, which--in Feb 2020--estimates that the Federal funding would provide for 320-350 Hamiltonians.

Still no link to an application portal, so let's keep looking!

OK--I think I've found a way to apply for Toronto residents. I want to make sure that "Portable Housing Benefit for Special Priority Program Housing Category" is related to COHB, so I'm waiting on the phone.

"This line is currently closed, and calls are not being answered."

Well, that's going to make it hard to apply...

I'm going to have to send an e-mail and wait for a reply, but it's worth noting Toronto's current stated eligibility for this program:

To be clear, these are extremely worthy targets of financial supports, but it doesn't make this benefit sound like the general sort of support that @TOAdamVaughan is claiming it to be.

Let's try the COVID-19 page on the City of Toronto website...

Nope! Nothing on the COHB or even the Portable Housing Benefit in the special COVID-19 "Financial Support for Renters" page from the City.

Morbidly funny that there's a link to the RGI subsidized housing program on the COVID support page.

"There's a pandemic! Do you want a subsidized 1br in 2032?"

OK--let's take a look at some provincial docs while we wait on the City to get back to my email. The funds are, I believe, administered by the Province, so perhaps there will be a way to apply directly?

Here's something: A "Program Guidelines" PDF from Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing prepared in April 2020.

https://www.msdsb.net/images/ADMIN/correspondence/2020/COHB_Program_Guidelines_Final.pdf

Let's have a look-see

Ahh, there is clarification about the difference between the COHB and the PHB-SPP that is mentioned on the City website.

I didn't realize that COHB was replacing PHB-SPP (which is OK, because I'm someone trying to access the benefit, remember?)

Going to read the whole doc brb

While I'm reading, the Program Guidelines says "ServiceOntario is the ongoing point of contact for households in the program for inquiries and to report changes" so I'm going to call them and see what's what.

"Press 3 for rental and housing"

"That was an invalid entry"

Got someone on the line at ServiceOntario (before the call dropped):

Me: I want to apply for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. How do I do that?"

SO: For that program, it is with the municipalities and you'd have to contact them in order to get the application.

Here's something I haven't heard talked about regarding COHB, from Program Guidelines:

"Households who are approved to receive benefits under this program must consent to be removed from
the social housing waiting list of their local Service Manager."

Big and bad implications!

We're not going to dwell there because all we're interested in doing is applying for COHB, and so related to that, I just want to say that the Program Guidelines make it sound like you'd be dealing with ServiceOntario, while in reality you have to go through the municipality...

Here's the eligibility criteria according to the provincial Program Guidelines.

It's fairly narrow, but there's an additional eligibility layer, since "eligible to be on such a waiting list" leaves open the possibility that those not currently on the list can apply

So let's see

Here is a Toronto Community Housing PDF titled "Are you eligible for affordable housing?"

https://www.torontohousing.ca/rent/affordable-rent/Documents/Are%20you%20eligible%20for%20affordable%20housing_V1.pdf

This sets an "initial income limit" for eligibility, which is calculated thus: total occupancy cost (rent+util) x 4 x 12.

I think I'm eligible so far!

Now I'm doing this?

Please note that this is only to determine if I'm eligible to be on the waiting list, so I can, in turn, know if I'm eligible for the COHB...

lol

OK, I applied for social housing. See you in 2030!

But this doesn't get to the bottom of the COHB, which exists to support renters during the COVID crisis, according to @TOAdamVaughan, so let's see what the City has to say...

(Going to leave this here before turning to the City's docs on COHB. This is from Prov Program Guidelines, and I'll dig into it in a separate thread.)

In a City of Toronto Report for Action, dated 27 April 2020, the City estimates that 1300 Toronto households will benefit from the COHB in (this) the first year of its implementation.

The city further recognizes that this is a small number of households compared to the total number of those in need. Here is the total number of households that rent in Toronto, as of either 2011, 2013, or 2014 (unclear what year figure is from, but it's definitely gone up!)

Even at the outdated figure for renting households, the 1300 assisted amounts to two-tenths of one percent of households in Toronto.

No panacea this, @TOAdamVaughan!

Moreover, Toronto's COHB beneficiaries are only being pulled from the existing social housing waiting list!

Which, despite my unintentional application as a result of this livetweeting, finally answers my question about my eligibility.

Anyone not on the social housing waiting list in Toronto is not eligible for COHB, despite what Vaughn or Trudeau say.

So, like, here's all the work... uhh, can like a @shanedingman or a @jpags or a @emathieuStar or some housing reporter please call @TOAdamVaughan out for his BS, and let people know how renters are being lied to?

Much obliged.

FIN.

P.S.

To be perfectly clear: There is no public-facing application portal for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. From what I can glean from the City docs, support workers will identify and assist eligible households.

And lest you think this is my first rant about the inadequacy of COHB... https://twitter.com/iamstillben/status/1208772153803517954?s=20