Social Housing Provider Program
Housing Services is committed to diverse and creative affordable housing solutions. To help, we provide support and legislative direction to social housing providers (non-profit and co-operative) across Niagara.
About 25 percent of these units are designated as market rent units. The remaining 75 percent of units are offered to households that pay a rent geared to their income.
The rent-geared-to-income calculation is based on 30 per cent of the household's gross income, plus parking (if applicable), and an adjustment for the cost of utilities.
Differences between non-profit and co-operative corporations
Non-profit corporations
- Privately owned
- Operated by an elected board of directors from the community at large
- Governed by non-profit by-laws and legislation, including the Residential Tenancies Act
Co-operative housing corporations
- Owned and managed by the members who live in the units
- Operated by an elected board of directors from the residents who live in the building(s)
- Members volunteer their time to help run their co-operative
- Governed in accordance with applicable legislation, their own by-laws and the Co-operatives Corporations Act
- Co-operatives have their own by-laws and restrictions about pets and the rules will vary among individual co-operatives
Housing profile
There are 51 non-profit and co-operative housing corporations in Niagara.
- 25 non-profit corporations - 1,614 units
- 26 co-operative corporations - 1,552 units
These communities are operated on a not-for-profit basis and governed by boards of directors who are responsible for the ownership and management of their buildings.
Building type
- 2,079 apartments
- 140 singles / semi-detached
- 947 townhouses
Locations
- Fort Erie - 354
- Lincoln - 41
- Niagara Falls - 743
- Port Colborne - 109
- St. Catharines - 1,400
- Thorold - 85
- Welland - 378
- West Lincoln - 56
Roles and responsibilities
- Tenant / member
- Households who need rent-geared-to-income accommodation must apply to Housing Services
- Households who can afford to pay the market rent / housing charge can apply directly to the social housing provider
- Must abide by the policies and bylaws of that social housing provider
- Must pay their rent / housing charge by the first of every month
- Must comply with applicable legislation, such as the Housing Services Act 2011 and Residential Tenancies Act 2006
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Social housing provider
- Must comply with all applicable legislation and Housing Services local policies
- Must establish policies and procedures to ensure effective management of their operations
- The social housing provider board has a fiduciary responsibility for the financial operations and must put in place financial and management controls that preserve the provider's assets
- Must fill rent-geared-to-income vacancies from Housing Service's centralized waiting list according to Housing Services local policies and established legislation
- Must report to Housing Services on an annual basis
- Housing Services
- Administers the Affordable Housing Program in Niagara
- Conducts regular operational reviews on all social housing providers to ensure compliance with applicable legislation and to share best business practices
- Determines, calculates and approves subsidy payments to social housing providers
- Provides training and support to social housing provider boards and staff
- Conducts financial and other investigations
- Establishes local policies
- Develops and implements strategies to ensure social housing provider assets are maintained in the long term
© Niagara Region - 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON, L2V 4T7 - Phone: 905-980-6000, Toll-free: 1-800-263-7215
