Affordable Housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to a group of people within a specified income range. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the concept is applicable to both renters and purchasers in all income ranges. This article focuses on the affordability of owner-occupied and private rental housing as social housing is a specialised tenure.
In the United States and Canada, a commonly accepted guideline for housing affordability is a housing cost that does not exceed 30% of a household's gross income. Housing costs considered in this guideline generally include taxes and insurance for owners, and usually include utility costs. When the monthly carrying costs of a home exceed 30–35% of household income, then the housing is considered unaffordable for that household.
Affordable Housing in Niagara
Since 2002, Niagara Regional Housing has acted on behalf of Niagara Region as the Service Manager for affordable housing in Niagara.
What is affordable housing? Generally, affordable housing is defined as costing no more than 30 per cent of a household’s gross monthly income.
Niagara Regional Housing (NRH) is dedicated to providing and advocating for quality affordable housing in Niagara through a combination of programs and services including:
- Owned units - NRH owns 854 family homes and 1,782 senior apartment units. Tenants do not pay more than 30% of income on rent
- Non-profits/Co-operative Housing - NRH provides legislative oversight to 67 non-
profit and co-operative organizations across Niagara, which own and manage more than 4,000 rental units - The Rent Supplement Program – NRH has agreements with more than 100 private landlords for approximately 750 units that are filled from the NRH waiting list
- The Housing Allowance Program - NRH provides a supplement payment directly to private and non-profit landlords. The program is intended to provide temporary assistance while the tenant remains on the waiting list for a permanent rent-geared-to-income unit. This is a five-year program that ends in 2013.
- Welcome Home Niagara - Provides down payment assistance (5% forgivable loan) to qualified homeowners who would not otherwise be able to afford to own their own home
- Community Programs - In partnership with community agencies, NRH offers educational and lifeskills programs and assistance, mediation and conflict resolution, crisis management and community support information to help maintain successful tenancies
We are constantly exploring options to address the shortage of affordable housing in Niagara in order to provide a better quality of life for our entire community.
Location:
Regional Administration Building
Campbell East
2201 St. David’s Road, Thorold
Mailing Address:
Niagara Regional Housing
P.O. Box 344
Thorold, ON L2V 3Z3
For all inquiries, call:
905-682-9201
1-800-232-3292 (from Grimsby and outside Niagara Region only)
Website:
http://www.nrh.ca/default.shtml
Resources:
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ontario:
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page126.aspx
Social Housing Services Corporation:
http://www.shscorp.ca/
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation:
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/faq/faq_002.cfm#1
Other Useful Links:
General Information
- Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO)
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
- Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA)
- Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF)
- Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB)
- Your Local Government - for information on municipal governments for everyone who lives, works and plays in Ontario.
Research Links
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Online Library
- Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Research Project Reports
- US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD USER is your gateway to current written research and analytic tools produced by and for HUD’s Office of Policy Development & Research (PD&R). - Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional Research (ICURR)
Online Information and Resource Network. Muniscope tracks down research, legislation as well as practical solutions to current municipal issues. The Muniscope library collection has over 9,000 publications relating to urban, regional and rural settings. More than a library, Muniscope offers an extensive networking service across Canada.
Related Legislation
