EmergencyHousing.CA - Ontario housing help
Last updated: November 13, 2026
Last verified: November 13, 2026 against the sources named at the foot of this page. Ontario Works rates have been frozen since 2018.
Ontario Works housing in Ontario means making rent work on the province's last-resort social assistance program. A single person on Ontario Works can get up to $733 a month: $343 for basic needs plus up to $390 for shelter. That $390 shelter maximum has to cover rent, heat, hydro, water, property taxes, insurance and condo fees, and it is paid only up to your actual costs. It has been frozen since 2018. No Ontario rent is $390 a month, so the gap between the shelter allowance and real rent is the central fact of Ontario Works housing, and the routes that close it are rent-geared-to-income housing, emergency assistance, housing stabilization funds, and help with rent arrears.
Quick answer: the Ontario Works shelter allowance maximum for a single person is $390 a month, and the total maximum is $733 a month. If you are in a crisis with no income, Emergency Assistance is about $733 a month for a single person for a short period. If you are behind on rent, ask your caseworker about your local Housing Stabilization Fund: the amount available is set by your local Service Manager and varies by city.
Ontario Works pays the lower of your actual shelter costs or the maximum for your benefit unit size. The maximums below are the 2026 figures, unchanged since 2018.
| Benefit unit size | Maximum shelter allowance |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $390 |
| 2 people | $642 |
| 3 people | $697 |
| 4 people | $756 |
| 5 people | $815 |
| 6 or more people | $844 |
| Household | Basic needs | Maximum shelter | Total maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single person | $343 | $390 | $733 |
| Couple | $494 | $642 | $1,136 |
| Single parent, one child under 18 | $360 | $642 | $1,002 |
| Single parent, two children under 18 | $360 | $697 | $1,057 |
| Couple, one child under 18 | $494 | $697 | $1,191 |
| Couple, two children under 18 | $494 | $756 | $1,250 |
Sources: Ontario.ca, Ontario Works policy directive 6.3 (Shelter), official tables; benefitcheck.ca, Ontario Works Rates 2026; the site's own OW and ODSP rates page.
Ontario Works rates have not increased since 2018. The $733 single-person total and the $390 shelter maximum are the same figures that were in force eight years ago, while rents have risen sharply in the same period. ODSP, by contrast, is adjusted for inflation every July: a single person on ODSP now receives up to $1,436 a month, almost double the Ontario Works maximum. The freeze is a policy choice, and it is the reason Ontario Works alone cannot cover rent in Ontario. If you have a disability that is expected to last a year or more and limits your ability to work, ask about applying for ODSP: it pays more, and its shelter maximum is $611 a month for a single person. See our ODSP housing guide for the full comparison.
Ontario Works also has an asset limit: $10,000 for a single person and $15,000 for a couple, plus $500 per dependant. Your home and one car do not count. Source: Ontario.ca, Ontario Works policy directive 4.3.
Emergency Assistance is Ontario Works for people in a crisis who have no income or who are waiting for a decision on their Ontario Works application. It is short-term help: the amount for a single person is about $733 a month, the same as the Ontario Works single-person maximum, and it is paid for a short period only. The length of the period is set by your local administrator: for example, up to 48 days in Ottawa and two weeks in Durham. Apply online at ontario.ca/ontarioworks, by phone at 1-888-999-1142, or in person at your local Ontario Works office. If you need a place tonight, see Emergency Housing Ontario or call 211.
If you are behind on rent or utilities, the Housing Stabilization Fund is the main route. It is run by your local Service Manager for people on Ontario Works or ODSP. Ask your caseworker about it, and ask about help with last month's rent, arrears, utility arrears, and moving costs.
There is no single provincial amount for rent arrears help. The amount available is set by your local Service Manager and varies by city. Do not rely on a figure you read on one city's page. Examples of local amounts:
Ask your caseworker what your Service Manager offers, and get the answer in writing.
Rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing is the route that makes rent affordable on Ontario Works, because the rent is geared to income instead of the market. If you live in RGI housing, your rent is set under the provincial rent scale in Ontario Regulation 316/19, not by the straight 30 percent formula. The scale depends on your household type:
| Benefit unit size | Single parent with dependants (Table 1) | Single person or couple (Table 2) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | - | $85 |
| 2 people | $191 | $175 |
| 3 people | $226 | $212 |
| 4 people | $269 | $254 |
| 5 people | $311 | $296 |
| 6 people | $353 | $339 |
Utility adjustments in Tables 3 to 7 of the same regulation can raise or lower the amount. Read the full RGI guide on this site: Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing Ontario (RGI). RGI is applied for through your local service manager, and waits are measured in years, not weeks, except for Special Priority households. If you are fleeing abuse, ask about Special Priority: it moves you to the top of the wait list.
| Ontario Works | ODSP | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic needs | $343 | $825 |
| Maximum shelter allowance | $390 | $611 |
| Total maximum | $733 | $1,436 |
| Rate changes | Frozen since 2018 | Indexed to inflation every July |
| Asset limit (single) | $10,000 | $40,000 |
| Rent in RGI housing | $85 (provincial rent scale, Table 2) | $109 (provincial rent scale, Table 3) |
If you have a disability, ask about moving from Ontario Works to ODSP. The application takes time and medical documentation, and Ontario Works can continue while you wait. See our ODSP housing guide.
You will need ID, proof of income and assets, and proof of your housing costs (a lease or rent receipt). If you are homeless or have no fixed address, you can still apply: tell the intake worker, and ask about Emergency Assistance and shelter.
Ontario Works pays your actual shelter costs up to a maximum based on your benefit unit size. The maximums are $390 a month for one person, $642 for two, $697 for three, $756 for four, $815 for five, and $844 for six or more. If your rent is lower than the maximum, you get the lower amount. The rates have been frozen since 2018.
Up to $733 a month: $343 for basic needs plus up to $390 for shelter. The shelter part is only paid up to your actual housing costs. Ontario Works rates have not increased since 2018.
Yes, through your local Housing Stabilization Fund. If you receive Ontario Works or ODSP, ask your caseworker about help with rent or utility arrears. The amount available is set by your local Service Manager and varies by city. There is no single provincial amount: for example, the Toronto Rent Bank helps people who are not on OW or ODSP with up to $5,000, and Hamilton's Housing Emergency Fund goes up to $3,000 for a single person, $4,000 for a couple, and $5,000 for a family of three.
Apply online at ontario.ca/ontarioworks, by phone at 1-888-999-1142 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time; TTY 1-800-387-5559), or in person at your local Ontario Works office. Emergency Assistance for people in a crisis with no income is about $733 a month for a single person and lasts for a short period, for example up to 48 days in Ottawa.
Last verified: November 13, 2026. Every figure on this page was checked against the source named here on that date. Ontario Works rates have been frozen since 2018, but confirm the current figures on ontario.ca before you rely on them.
Related guides on this site: ODSP housing, Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing Ontario, Emergency Housing Ontario, Ontario Resource Directory, Ontario benefits checker.