Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB): Who Qualifies and How to Apply
The Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) is a monthly rent subsidy that helps low-income Ontario households afford a home in the private rental market. It is a joint federal-provincial program under the National Housing Strategy, launched April 1, 2020, with over 32,000 households approved by March 2025. Unlike rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing, which is tied to one subsidized unit, COHB is portable: the benefit follows your household anywhere in Ontario.
How COHB works
COHB bridges the gap between what your household can afford and what rent actually costs where you live. The monthly amount is based on the greater of 80 per cent of the Average Market Rent in your area or your actual shelter costs, up to 100 per cent of Average Market Rent, minus 30 per cent of Adjusted Family Net Income. A minimum contribution toward rent is assumed. The amount varies by household, community and unit size: your Service Manager works it out.
The benefit is paid monthly, to your household or to your landlord if both parties agree. COHB payments are exempt as income for social assistance, and for ODSP recipients the benefit is not deducted when shelter costs are assessed. Help with rental deposits, such as first and last month's rent, may also be available.
Who qualifies
To be eligible for COHB, you must meet all of these conditions:
- Live permanently in Ontario, and be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.
- Be on a social housing wait list, or eligible to be on one, or living in community housing.
- Not be receiving rent-geared-to-income assistance, more than one COHB benefit, or any other government-funded housing benefit (social assistance shelter payments are the exception).
- Not own a home suitable for year-round occupancy.
- File an income tax return every year.
Your Service Manager also checks your income and assets against local limits, which vary by area and household size.
Who gets priority
Funding is limited, so the Province gives priority to these groups:
- Survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking
- People who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness
- Indigenous peoples
- Seniors
- People with a disability
- Young adults, including young people leaving the child welfare system
Priority does not guarantee a benefit: funding is allocated as it becomes available.
How to apply
There is no public COHB application form and no direct federal application. Follow these steps:
- Contact your local Service Manager, the body that runs social housing where you live. If you do not know which one serves you, call 2-1-1. Tell the Service Manager you want to be considered for COHB.
- Confirm your wait list status: you must be on the centralized wait list, eligible to be on it, or living in community housing. If you are not on it yet, the Service Manager can tell you how to join.
- Gather your documents: identification, your Notice of Assessment for household members 18 and over who are not full-time students, and your rent and utility costs.
- Complete the application with your Service Manager. Staff help you complete it, and it is sent to the Ontario Ministry of Finance to determine eligibility.
- If you are approved, agree to leave the wait list. In exchange, you receive a portable monthly benefit you can use now instead of waiting for a subsidized unit.
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COHB or RGI: which fits you?
COHB is a portable monthly payment you can use in the private rental market right away, and it moves with you if you change address. RGI is subsidized housing in a specific unit, where rent is normally about 30 per cent of your income, and you wait on a centralized wait list until a unit becomes available. You cannot receive both at the same time. Read rent-geared-to-income housing in Ontario and RGI eligibility in Ontario before you decide.
Keeping COHB once you have it
COHB is reviewed every year. Your Service Manager sends a renewal application each May: return it by the date printed on the form, or your payments can stop (in Durham Region, by July 1). File your tax return annually, and tell your Service Manager promptly about any change in income, household, address or rent, or if you move.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for COHB myself online?
No. There is no public COHB application form. Your local Service Manager identifies eligible households and helps with the application, which goes to the Ministry of Finance. Contact your Service Manager and ask to be considered.
Do I lose my place on the social housing wait list if I get COHB?
Yes. If approved for COHB, you must agree to be removed from the social housing wait list. That is the trade-off for a portable benefit you can use right away instead of waiting for a subsidized unit.
Can I take COHB with me if I move?
Yes. COHB is portable: the benefit is tied to your household, not to one unit, so it moves with you anywhere in Ontario. Tell your Service Manager when you move.
Your next step
Contact your local Service Manager and ask to be considered for COHB. If you do not know your Service Manager, call 2-1-1.