Rent-Geared-to-Income Ontario: RGI Housing, Limits and Wait Times

Rent-geared-to-income Ontario (RGI) is subsidized housing where your rent is based on your income, usually about 30 percent of your monthly adjusted family net income. There is no single Ontario-wide application and no single income limit: Ontario has 47 service managers, and each one runs its own wait list, sets its own local income and asset limits, and decides who gets housed first. This page gives you the province-wide picture, the limits for Ottawa, Toronto, Durham and Kingston in one comparable table, worked rent examples, wait times, Special Priority steps, additional bedroom rules, and what happens if you refuse an offer or disagree with a decision.

Not sure you qualify yet? Start with our RGI eligibility checklist for Ontario, then come back here for the limits and wait times for your city.

Apply in 3 steps

1. Step 1 - Find your service manager. Every city or district has one body that runs RGI housing: in Ottawa it is the Social Housing Registry of Ottawa (613-526-2088); in Toronto it is the City of Toronto through MyAccesstoHousingTO; in Durham it is Durham Access to Social Housing (DASH); in Kingston it is the City of Kingston Housing Registry. The full contact table is in the how to apply section below.
2. Step 2 - Gather your documents. You will need identification and proof of status in Canada for every household member 16 or older, Notices of Assessment for the most recent tax year, proof of income and an asset declaration, plus any custody, medical or Special Priority verification that applies to you.
3. Step 3 - Apply through that city's portal or form, and keep the file current. Submit the application, choose the buildings you would accept, then report any change in address, phone, income or household within 30 days and confirm your file at least once a year, or it can be cancelled.

What RGI is

Rent-geared-to-income assistance, also called RGI housing, subsidized housing, social housing or a rent subsidy, is housing where the rent you pay is geared to what your household earns. The program is governed by the Housing Services Act, 2011 and its regulations, including Ontario Regulation 367/11 (general rules and eligibility) and Ontario Regulation 316/19 (how RGI rent is calculated). Your household income for RGI purposes is based on net income on line 23600 of your Notice of Assessment, with adjustments set out in the regulations; full-time student income is excluded.

RGI rent is normally about 30 percent of your monthly adjusted family net income (AFNI). There are exceptions: if your only income is Ontario Works (OW) or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), your rent is set under a provincial rent scale rather than by the straight 30 percent formula, and your rent can never be more than the maximum rent for the unit. Your rent is reviewed every year, and you must file your taxes every year to keep it accurate.

RGI assistance stays with the unit, not with you. If you move, you generally have to re-apply in the new area. That is different from a portable benefit, which follows the household.

The 47 service managers explained

Ontario has 47 service managers. A service manager is usually a city, a region, or a District Social Services Administration Board, and it is the body that administers RGI assistance for its service area under the Housing Services Act, 2011. Every service manager must:

• run a centralized wait list and a system for selecting households for vacant units;
• set local household income limits that are at least as high as the provincial Household Income Limits (HILs) for its area, set out in Ontario Regulation 370/11;
• set local asset limits of at least $50,000 (a service manager may set a higher limit, and may set different limits for different household sizes or types);
• apply the provincial Special Priority Policy for survivors of abuse and trafficking; and
• give written Notices of Decision and offer a review when it makes a decision a household can challenge.

Because each service manager sets its own local limits, the same household can qualify in one city and not in another. That is why this page compares cities side by side instead of giving one number. The four cities covered in detail here are Ottawa, Toronto, Durham Region and Kingston (including Frontenac County). Other service managers include Peel Region, York Region, Hamilton, London, Windsor-Essex, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and the district boards across northern Ontario. To find the service manager for any other area, use the service-manager directory on ontario.ca or search the EmergencyHousing.CA Community Directory for housing help in that community.

Income and asset limits by city

Income limits are maximums: your household income must be under the limit for the largest unit size you qualify for. Income is your household's net income from line 23600 of your Notice of Assessment. Asset limits are also maximums, and they apply both when you apply and while you wait. Ontario requires service managers to exempt OW and ODSP clients from their local asset-limit rules.

Sources for this table: Ottawa limits, Social Housing Registry of Ottawa, Income and Asset Limit Rules Q and A for RGI Applicants, last updated January 2026. Toronto limits, City of Toronto, Eligibility Requirements for Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing, page modified April 1, 2026 (note: Toronto publishes $83,000 for a 4 to 5 bedroom unit, which is lower than its $84,000 limit for a 3 bedroom unit; that is what the City publishes). Durham limits, Region of Durham, Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing (RGI) page. Kingston limits, City of Kingston, Social Housing page.

Toronto's household-size guide: studio and 1-bedroom limits cover 1 to 2 people; 2-bedroom covers 2 to 4 people; 3-bedroom covers 3 to 6 people; 4 to 5 bedroom covers 8 to 10 people (City of Toronto). Kingston's occupancy rule is one bedroom per single person or couple, plus one additional bedroom for each extra household member (City of Kingston). Ottawa and Durham apply their income limit to the largest unit size your household qualifies for, so check your bedroom entitlement before you compare your income to a limit.

Toronto counts a wide range of assets toward its $150,000 limit, including bank accounts, investments, property, extra vehicles and business assets over $20,000, but excludes one personal vehicle per household member, RRSPs and other registered retirement savings, RESPs, RDSPs, TFSAs within CRA limits, ordinary personal possessions, and OW and ODSP income (City of Toronto). Ottawa, Durham and Kingston publish the simpler $50,000 single / $75,000 family limits; ask the local service manager which assets it counts and which it exempts before you assume you are over or under.

The 30 percent rent calculator: worked examples

The general RGI formula is: monthly RGI rent = 30 percent of your monthly adjusted family net income. Monthly AFNI is your annual AFNI divided by 12. Work it out like this:

About the OW and ODSP rows: the OW maximum for a single adult is $733 a month ($343 basic needs + $390 shelter) and the ODSP maximum for a single adult is $1,436 a month ($825 basic needs + $611 shelter), both as of July 2026. OW has been frozen at $733 since 2018; ODSP rose 1.9 percent on July 1, 2026. The $219.90 and $430.80 figures show what the 30 percent formula gives on those incomes. In practice, households whose only income is OW or ODSP are charged under the provincial rent scale set by the Ontario government, not by the straight 30 percent calculation, so your provider's figure may differ. Ask your housing provider which scale applies to you.

Try it yourself: take your household's annual net income from line 23600 of your Notices of Assessment, divide by 12, and multiply by 0.30. That is the estimated RGI rent before utility adjustments, minimum-rent rules and the maximum rent for the unit. If you pay your own utilities, a utility allowance is subtracted from your rent.

Wait times by city

Wait times depend on your city, your unit size, how many buildings you select, and your priority status. They are averages, not promises for any one household. Apply early, keep your file updated, and select as many suitable buildings as you are willing to live in.

Special Priority changes the picture everywhere: in Kingston and Frontenac the 2023 average wait for Special Priority applicants was 6 months, against years for chronological applicants (City of Kingston). In Ottawa the Registry's 2019 overview reported about 2 to 6 months for Special Priority applicants; that figure is dated, so confirm the current picture with the Registry.

Special Priority: faster access for survivors

The Special Priority Policy (SPP) is a provincial priority category under the Housing Services Act, 2011 and Ontario Regulation 367/11, sections 52 to 58. Every service manager in Ontario must place eligible Special Priority households ahead of all standard applicants. It is for survivors of abuse and trafficking, and it is the single fastest route to RGI housing in the province.

To qualify for Special Priority you must:

1. Be eligible for RGI assistance first. Special Priority is a priority ranking on top of RGI eligibility, not a substitute for it.
2. Have experienced abuse or trafficking. Abuse includes physical or sexual violence, controlling behaviour, intentional destruction of or injury to property, and words, actions or gestures that make you fear for your safety. Trafficking includes sex trafficking and labour trafficking.
3. Have lived with the abuser, or been sponsored by them. For abuse, you must apply while living with the abuser or within three months of leaving them (this time limit does not apply if your abuser is sponsoring you as an immigrant). For trafficking, apply while it is ongoing or within three months after it stopped.
4. Intend to live permanently apart from the abuser. Special Priority exists to let the household separate permanently from the abuser.
5. Provide verification. You need a written record from a recognized professional who can verify the situation, such as a doctor, social worker, shelter worker or police record, as set out in the regulation.

Sources: ontario.ca, Priority access to housing for survivors of abuse and trafficking (updated November 1, 2024); City of Toronto, Special Priority Program; City of Kingston, Social Housing page. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For shelter and safety planning in Ottawa, call 3-1-1 and ask for social services, or find a shelter through our housing locator tool.

Additional bedroom rules

Your bedroom entitlement is set by provincial occupancy standards plus local rules. The general pattern is one bedroom for a single person or a couple, plus one bedroom for each additional household member. You can qualify for an extra bedroom in these situations:

• Disability or medical need: a spouse or partner needs a separate bedroom because of a disability or medical condition; a room is needed to store equipment required because of a disability or medical condition; or a room is needed for a person who provides full-time overnight support because of a disability or medical condition. Kingston asks for verification of the disability or medical condition.
• Pregnancy: a household member is pregnant and the household will be eligible for an additional bedroom for the child.
• Joint custody or access: in Ottawa, a member of the household has a formal agreement for joint custody of a child who is not a full-time member of the household, or visiting rights with frequent overnight access, and the child will reside with the household at least 50 percent of the time. You must provide a legal document such as a court order or notarized written agreement showing the child resides with you at least 50 percent of the time. Source: City of Ottawa, Request for an Additional Bedroom form. Kingston applies the same idea: extra bedrooms for visiting children require legal documents such as a custody order, a lawyer's letter or an affidavit showing visiting rights and how often the children stay overnight (City of Kingston).
• Modified units: some units are specially modified for a physical disability; ask for a modified unit, or an additional bedroom to store an assistive device, with verification (City of Kingston).

Because the 50 percent rule is a local occupancy rule, it can be the deciding factor in a 2-bedroom application. If your household was refused an extra bedroom, check the refusal letter for the exact reason and the review route, and see the review rights section below. The "Directive 25-01" number sometimes cited for Ottawa's occupancy rules was not re-verified against a live source for this page; the 50 percent requirement itself was verified from the City of Ottawa form named above.

Refusal and appeal / review rights

RGI decisions are not final just because a letter says so. Know these rules before you need them:

• One offer only. Under Ontario Regulation 367/11, section 32.2, a household that refuses one valid offer of RGI accommodation ceases to be eligible to be on the centralized wait list. Ottawa's Registry application form states it plainly: you are only entitled to one offer of rent-geared-to-income housing, and if you refuse the offer, your file will be cancelled. In Kingston, if you refuse an offer of housing you selected, you will be removed from the centralized wait list, and you must respond to an offer within two business days. Choose your building selections carefully, because refusing is not a free second chance.
• Provider refusals are different. If a housing provider refuses to make an offer to you, the provider must notify you, and if you ask, it must review that decision. Those rules apply to the first refusal by a provider (O. Reg. 367/11, s. 50).
• Review of a decision. The Housing Services Act, 2011, section 156, gives households a right to request a review of certain decisions, including decisions about eligibility and about the amount of RGI payable. The service manager must give you a written Notice of Decision. The decision letter should state the review route and the deadline, and deadlines are short, so act the day the letter arrives. Some cities, for example Hamilton and Greater Sudbury, publish internal-review windows of about 10 business days for cancellation decisions after a refused offer; your own city's deadline is the one in your letter.
• Keep your file alive. Update the service manager within 30 days of any change to your address, phone number, income or household, and confirm your file at least once a year. In Kingston, an incomplete application is cancelled after 90 days if the missing information is not supplied, and applicants are told within 7 business days if something is missing and within 30 days whether they are eligible (City of Kingston).

Ottawa-first route

If you want RGI housing in Ottawa, this is the route:

• Apply to: The Social Housing Registry of Ottawa (The Registry), 240 Catherine St., Suite 110, Ottawa, ON K2P 2G8. Phone 613-526-2088, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sources: housingregistry.ca application forms and the Registry's own contact pages.
• Limits: Bachelor $51,500; 1-bedroom $62,000; 2-bedroom $74,000; 3-bedroom $80,000; 4-bedroom or more $94,500. Assets $50,000 for a single-person household and $75,000 for households with two or more people. Source: Registry, Income and Asset Limit Rules Q and A for RGI Applicants, last updated January 2026.
• One offer: you get one offer of RGI housing. Refusing it cancels your file.
• Need help tonight? Use our housing locator tool to find shelter and housing help near you, or search the Community Directory for Ottawa housing services.

How to apply

1. Check the RGI eligibility checklist first. Confirm age, status in Canada, income, assets, arrears and convictions before you apply.
2. Apply to the right service manager. Ottawa: The Registry, 613-526-2088. Toronto: MyAccesstoHousingTO, through the City of Toronto's RGI pages. Durham: Durham Access to Social Housing (DASH), email [email protected], toll-free 1-800-372-1102. Kingston: the City of Kingston Housing Registry through MyKingston, or in person at Housing and Social Services, 362 Montreal St., Kingston, phone 613-546-2695 ext. 4769.
3. Gather documents. Identification and proof of status in Canada for every household member 16 or older, Notices of Assessment for the most recent tax year, proof of income, asset declarations, and any custody, medical or Special Priority verification you need.
4. Keep the file current. Report changes within 30 days, answer annual update requests, and keep your contact details correct, or your file can be cancelled.
5. While you wait, look for other help. See our Emergency Housing Ontario hub, our Emergency Housing Ottawa hub, and our Subsidized Housing Ottawa page for shelter, benefits and other housing options, and search the Community Directory for services in your area.

Where to apply by city

Sources: Registry application forms (Ottawa); City of Toronto RGI eligibility page (Toronto); Region of Durham DASH directive, updated July 2025 (Durham); City of Kingston social housing page (Kingston). For housing help, shelters and support services in any Ontario community, use the EmergencyHousing.CA Community Directory.

Your next step

Check your eligibility, then apply to the service manager for the city where you want to live and keep your file updated while you wait. Start now: use the RGI eligibility checklist for Ontario, then search 6,000+ verified Ontario listings in the directory for housing help and support services near you. If you need a place tonight, use our housing locator tool or see the Emergency Housing Ontario hub.

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