WOODSWORTH HOUSING CO-OPERATIVE INC.
Emergency Housing Charge Assistance Policy
Approved by the Board of Directors on January 22, 2020 and by the members at the AGM on February 16, 2021.
1. About the policy
This policy sets out the rules and procedures for administering emergency housing charge assistance funds (EHC Assistance Fund).
This is a discretionary fund established by Woodsworth Housing Cooperative (the Co-op) that is intended to give short-term assistance to households experiencing a decrease or loss of income, as determined by the Co-op. The EHC Assistance Fund is managed and allocated by the Co-op’s management, as directed by the Board of Directors. The amount of the EHC Assistance Fund may change on an annual basis.
2. About emergency housing charge assistance
(a) Emergency housing charge assistance for monthly housing charges is to give short term help to households who are experiencing a decrease or loss of income. Assistance is intended for short term use only.
(b) EHC Assistance shall not be granted for a period exceeding (3) three months, and shall not be granted more than once in any (12) twelve month period, starting from the first day of assistance.
(c) This assistance is in the form of credit to the member’s account. The credit can be up to 30% of the member’s housing charge.
(d) The amount could be limited by the amount available in the emergency housing charge assistance budget.
(e) The EHC Assistance Fund is distinct from subsidies administered by CMHC. Applying for EHC Assistance does not place an individual or household on the wait-list for a CMHC housing charge subsidy, and does not equate to a reduction in housing charges for a given household. If the household thinks it may qualify for CMHC subsidy, the household is encouraged to apply immediately.
3. Definition of Terms
(a) “Household” shall mean a person or a group of persons who occupy the same unit and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada.
(b) Dependent: someone is considered a child of a member if they would be considered the member’s child under the Ontario Family Law Act.
(c) CMHC means Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and The Agency means the Agency for Co-operative Housing that manages the federal government’s cooperative housing programs on behalf of CMHC.
(d) Management means staff appointed as property managers of the Co-op by Woodsworth Housing Co-op’s Board of Directors.
4. Criteria for Eligibility
(a) Applicants must be members of Woodsworth Housing Co-op for a minimum of 12 months before they can apply to the EHC Assistance Fund; and
(b) The household must not currently be receiving CMHC subsidy but the household can be on the waiting list for CMHC while receiving emergency assistance; and
(c) The household must not owe money to the Co-op unless they are following an arrears payment agreement; and
(d) The household must show that it has had a decrease or loss of income that would make it difficult to pay the regular monthly housing charge.
5. Applying for and Administration of Emergency Housing Charge Assistance
(a) Households applying for EHC Assistance must complete the co-op application form for assistance.
(b) All applications for assistance will be processed and approved by the Management on a confidential basis.
(c) As part of an application for EHC Assistance, the household must supply proof of income loss, along with a sworn statement attesting to the veracity and accuracy of the information supplied. Proof of income loss might include, but is not limited to, the following documentation:
(i) Record of Employment for job loss
(ii) Proof of an injury requiring time off work or a WSIB claim resulting in a loss of income
(iii) Letter from employer or union on letterhead in case of strike action
(d) The Management reserves the right to seek further information from applicants regarding income loss if necessary.
(e) Emergency housing charge assistance will be given to households on a first come, first served basis depending on when the completed application form is received by the Management.
(f) Households approved to receive EHC Assistance are required to report changes in income within no more than seven (7) days of the change taking effect. If the household is no longer eligible to receive Emergency Assistance, the assistance will be withdrawn at the beginning of the month following the change.
(g) When EHC Assistance is no longer available due to the EHC Assistance Fund being depleted, Management shall notify all members of the Co-op that no further applications will be accepted until the new fiscal year.
(h) Upon being approved for EHC Assistance, the household must sign a form saying that:
(i) it understands that this is temporary assistance for a maximum of three months, and that EHC Assistance does not equal a reduction in housing charges;
(ii) Emergency housing charge assistance is dependent on money being available in the EHC Assistance Fund. That means that the full three (3) months of assistance may not be available. The agreement will have the start date and end date for assistance;
(iii) it understands that any change to the income information submitted in support of the EHC Assistance application must be reported to the Co-op within seven (7) days of the change.
6. Breach of Obligations by Members
The Co-op can end the delivery of EHC Assistance if a household or a member of the household has broken the terms of this policy, or any of the Co-op’s bylaws. In those cases, the Co-op reserves the right to demand repayment of any funds paid out to the household via the EHC Assistance Fund. Circumstances under which a household must pay back the Co-op for housing charge assistance include, but are not limited to situations in which the household:
(a) Declared its income falsely, or
(b) Did not report an increase in income when required by this policy, or (c) Ceased to meet the eligibility requirements as described in this policy.
(c) Ceased to meet the eligibility requirements as described in this policy.
7. Emergency Housing Charge Assistance Annual Budget
The amount of money available for the EHC Assistance Fund each financial year will be budgeted and approved by members in the Operating Budget. Co-op Management shall ensure that the total spent for housing charge emergency assistance does not exceed the budgeted amount of the EHC Assistance Fund.
8. Funding and Oversight
(a) The Co-op management has the discretion to deny any application for EHC Assistance, and are not obligated to provide reasons for denying such an application.
(b) Management will report to the Board of Directors at least once every 30 days on the status of the EHC Assistance Fund. Management reports will not include particulars, such as names and unit numbers of members receiving funds through the EHC Assistance Fund.
This policy replaces the internal subsidy program.