Housing Access processes applications for housing and maintains the centralized wait list for subsidized housing for social housing providers in Niagara. Here are the key points:

1. Housing Access:
   • Is not a landlord.
   • Does not offer housing directly to applicants.
   • Cannot predict or guess when you will be housed.
2. After Completing a Housing Application:
   • Upon receiving your application, we will write to you within seven business days to inform you if it is complete or not.
   • If your application is incomplete, the letter will specify the missing information. You have 30 days to provide the necessary details; otherwise, your application will be cancelled.
   • If your application is complete, the letter will confirm that your application is on the centralized waiting list. It will also list the communities you selected. Note that if you chose communities for which you are not eligible, you will not be placed on those waiting lists.
3. Housing Offer:
   • When a housing unit becomes available, we contact the first applicant at the top of the waiting list.
   • If the first applicant refuses or cannot be reached, the next applicant on the list will be offered the unit.
   • You are allowed one housing offer. If you decline it, your name will be removed from the waiting list, and you’ll need to reapply (starting from the bottom of the list).
   • Provide a daytime phone number so we can reach you promptly when a unit is available. If we cannot contact you during the day, provide an alternate contact person’s phone number.
4. Housing Application Steps:
   • Step 1: Before starting your application, write down your housing selections.
   • Step 2: Begin your housing application online. The process takes at least 30 minutes.
     • Once you start the application, you must complete it; there’s no option to save and return later.
     • All applicants aged 16 or older listed on the application must sign it. Ensure everyone is available to sign.
   • Step 3: After submitting your application, follow instructions to send supporting documentation.
5. Eligibility Criteria:
   • To apply for housing, applicants must:
     • Declare all household income.
     • Not owe rent or other fees to a former community housing provider.
     • Be able to live independently, with or without support services.
     • Have at least one household member aged 16 or older.
   • All household members must:
     • Be Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, or refugee claimants.
     • Not have been convicted of an offence related to rent-geared-to-income assistance in the last two years.
     • Not have a removal order under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to leave Canada.
6. Document Checklist:
   • Include the following documents with your application (do not submit original documents):
     • Proof of status in Canada:
       • Canadian birth certificate.
       • Canadian citizenship document (8.5 x 11 paper form, both sides).
       • Permanent resident card (both sides).
       • Proof of application for permanent residency status.
       • Record of landing.
       • Convention refugee documentation.
       • Refugee claimant form.
       • Valid Canadian Passport.
     • Proof of income for each household member aged 16 or older:
       • Proof of all sources of income and the amount.
       • Proof of full-time attendance (if in school).