Rent Support Programmes

To apply, complete a rent-geared-to-income application by clicking the link below. In the application be sure to specify Rent Supplement.

Apply for Subsidized Housing

If approved, tenants sign a lease agreement with the landlord directly and are responsible for following the rules established under the lease and the Residential Tenancies Act. 

Before receiving rent supplement, tenants must sign a Rent Supplement Agreement with the County of Wellington.

Subsidized Rent payments are made directly to the landlord. Tenants are responsible for paying their portion of the rent.

Any questions tenants have about rent payments, upkeep, emergencies, problems with neighbours, moving out, etc., should be directed to the landlord and not to Rent Supplement Programme staff.

The Rent Supplement Programme aims to help low-income households by reducing the cost of housing. 

 Benefits as a landlord:

• Vacancy loss protection – We cover eligible lost revenue resulting from vacancies 
• Reduced marketing costs – Our staff will send you referrals for your units
• Ability to screen tenants - You can screen tenants with credit, background, and reference checks and interview them to maintain control 

To participate, you need to sign an agreement with the County of Wellington, which outlines the obligations of both parties, approved rent, acceptable standards, tenant selection process, and termination process. 

Tenants also sign an agreement, and their subsidy is calculated based on income. They are responsible for paying their portion of the rent.

Applications for HAP will be processed through the County of Wellington Centralized Waiting List (CWL) and are subject to availability of funds. 

Households interested in participating in HAP can contact the County of Wellington, 519.824.7822 ext. 4060 to obtain an application and guidelines.

Applicants will be contacted when HAP funds become available.

Under HAP, financial assistance to subsidize a client’s rent is in the form of a monthly payment paid directly to the landlord. HAP allows for agreements in existing or vacant self-contained units. If financial assistance is accepted by the client, the client will have the option to be removed or remain on the CWL with a revised date, based on the date assistance is received. 

Eligibility is subject to the rent-geared-to-income eligibility rules in the Housing Services Act, 2011 (HSA) and administration agreements with some exceptions to be approved by the Administrator of Social Services.

The CMSM will determine housing allowance amounts to be paid to landlords on behalf of each household in accordance with OREG 367/11 S. 4.2 of the HSA. In all circumstances, the calculation method is determined by the CMSM. Annual income, household and rent verification is required to maintain HAP payments.

To qualify for HAP, applicants must meet the eligibility criteria below:

• Must be a Canadian citizen, landed immigrant or have Refugee Claimant status with no enforceable deportation, departure or exclusion order.
• Must be at least 16 years of age.
• Client’s household income must be at or below the most recent Household Income Limits (HILs) as published by the CMSM and is not to exceed the 30% threshold using the most recent CMHC Average Market Rent (AMR) or alternate AMR set by the CMSM.
• Client’s unit must meet unit/landlord eligibility. 
• Must have no social housing arrears.

Participating units must meet the following criteria:

• Unit is in the geographical service area of Wellington or Guelph and is owned by the landlord.
• Rent must be at or below the most recent CMHC AMR or alternate AMR set by the CMSM. Ongoing changes in the market rent are allowed within provincial annual Rent Increase Guidelines.
• Unit must be self-contained and meet local health, safety, property and maintenance standards.

Hostel units, group home or congregate living arrangements, nursing and retirement homes are not eligible.

Please note that the CAD programme is subject to availability of funds. Agencies participating in CAD are responsible for selecting households and assessing eligibility. To inquire about receiving CAD funding, please contact one of the following participating agencies:

• East Wellington Community Services
  • Erin: 519.833.9696
  • Rockwood: 519.856.2113
• Community Resource Centre
  • info@communityresourcecentre.org
  • 519.843.7000

The County of Wellington seeks to achieve the following programme objectives:

• To help low-income households close the gap between their incomes and housing expenses;
• To improve the range of supports to assist people at risk of homelessness to remain housed;
• To offer a comprehensive range of supportive housing options for residents with complex needs due to aging, disabilities, mental health issues and addictions;
• To increase the supply and mix of affordable housing options for low to moderate income households;
• To reduce the length of time and number of people that experience homelessness; and,
• To promote practices that make the housing and homelessness support system more accessible and welcoming.

The County of Wellington will determine an annual funding allocation for each community agency. The community agency may provide an average rent supplement of $500.00 (funding may vary) per household (individual or family) per month until the client leaves the programme, no longer qualifies for the programme, or until the programme ends, whichever occurs first.

The client is expected to pay the difference between the unit market rent and the rent supplement paid to the landlord by the community agency. The client is to pay this amount directly to the landlord on time and in the manner agreed upon in the lease. All rent supplement funds will be paid monthly by the community agency. These payments must be made directly to the landlord on behalf of the client.

To be eligible for the CAD programme, households must be experiencing or are at risk of episodic or chronic homelessness and either be on the County of Wellington Centralized Waiting List (CWL) or meet CWL eligibility requirements and have a gross household income that falls below the Household Income Limits (HILs). 

Funding for clients or units that already receive a rental subsidy either directly or indirectly from the County of Wellington or like agencies are not eligible.

Individuals or families must be receiving or be in need of support services that the community agency is able to provide and sustain throughout the term of the programme.

CAD programme clients are eligible to be on the County of Wellington CWL while enrolled in the programme and may be offered units. 

Individuals with arrears owing to a social housing provider within or outside the County of Wellington service area, will be eligible for the CAD programme as long as they meet all of the other eligibility requirements.

To be eligible, units must be located in the service area of Wellington or Guelph, be in a satisfactory state of repair, meet local property standards, have no compliance orders/issues to local by-laws, Fire or Building Codes, and meet local occupancy standards (in relation to the number of household members and number of bedrooms in the unit). When possible, units should not exceed CMHC’s Average Market Rent (AMR) but community agencies may use discretion where reasonable. Hostel units, group home or nursing and retirement homes are not eligible.

Please note that the CASU programme is subject to availability of funds. Agencies participating in CASU are responsible for selecting households and assessing eligibility. To inquire about receiving CASU funding, please contact one of the following participating agencies:

• Michael House
  • office@michaelhouse.ca
  • 519.766.7675
• Thresholds Homes and Supports
  • info@thresholdssupports.ca
  • 519.742.3191

The County of Wellington seeks to achieve the following programme objectives:

• To help low-income households close the gap between their incomes and housing expenses;
• To offer a comprehensive range of supportive housing options for residents with complex needs due to aging, disabilities, mental health issues and addictions;
• To increase the supply and mix of affordable housing options for low to moderate income households;
• To promote practices that make the housing and homelessness support system more accessible and welcoming.

The County of Wellington will determine an annual funding allocation for each community agency based on agency’s projected needs and funding availability. The community agency will provide monthly rent support to the household until the client leaves the programme, no longer qualifies for the programme, or until the programme ends, whichever occurs first.

The household is expected to pay their portion of rent directly to the landlord on time and in the manner agreed upon in the lease. 

To be eligible for the CASU programme, households must be in need of the support services provided by the community agency and are either on the County of Wellington Centralized Waiting List (CWL) or meet CWL eligibility requirements and have a gross household income that falls below the Household Income Limits (HILs).

Funding for households or units that already receive a rental subsidy either directly or indirectly from the County of Wellington or like agencies are not eligible.

Individuals or families must be receiving or be in need of support services that the community agency is able to provide and sustain throughout the term of the programme.

Where the potential exists for a client to exit out of a programme causing them to no longer be eligible for the support services being delivered, the community agency must have an individualized exit strategy developed for each client.

CASU programme clients are eligible to be on the County of Wellington CWL while enrolled in the programme and may be offered units.

Individuals with arrears owing to a social housing provider within or outside the County of Wellington service area, will be eligible for the CASU programme as long as they meet all of the other eligibility requirements.

To be eligible, units must be located in the service area of Wellington or Guelph, not exceed 80% of CMHC’s Average Market Rent (AMR), be in a satisfactory state of repair, meet local property standards, have no compliance orders/issues to local by-laws, Fire or Building Codes, and meet local occupancy standards (in relation to the number of household members and number of bedrooms in the unit). Hostel units, group home or nursing and retirement homes are not eligible.

This is a closed application process and the benefit is not available to the general public. Referrals for eligible applicants are made through community partners connected to our Coordinated Entry System. We are not holding a waiting list. 

The COHB programme is targeted to low-income renter households to assist with housing costs. The intent is for households to have quicker access to housing assistance than waiting for RGI assistance. The COHB will increase housing choice (e.g. type, quality, location) and will improve household financial well-being. 

In order to be eligible for the COHB, applicants must be a resident of Ontario and must be on or be eligible to be on the Centralized Waiting List (CWL) for social housing. Applicants must consent to being removed from the CWL once their application is approved.

Applicants must not be in receipt of RGI assistance or any other government-funded housing benefit, with the exception of social assistance shelter payments.

The COHB programme is intended to support vulnerable individuals and households in housing need. Priority will be given to the following groups:

• Persons experiencing or at-risk of homelessness
• Persons receiving Community Agency Delivery (CAD) funding, under an expiring agreement
• Indigenous persons
• Seniors
• Survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking
• People with disabilities

SAMH accepts referrals on behalf of individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, or who have a history of homelessness. The SAMH team will complete the initial assessment and intake screening and will select participants who meet the eligibility criteria for the program.

For more information about the SAMH programme, please contact the Housing Stability Unit at:

• Email: housingstability@wellington.ca
• Telephone:  519.824.7822 x3712 

The County started its partnership with the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network in 2018 to deliver scattered site supportive housing. The County has partnered with Stonehenge Therapeutic Community to deliver supports to the residents using staff from the Supportive Addictions and Mental Health Team. The program is designed to pair the rent supplement with the supports.

The SAMH programme supports individuals and families who are at risk of homelessness, or with a history of homelessness. The program targets individuals experiencing complex addictions and mental health issues.