Apply for Housing

Looking for help with last month's rent, rental or utility arrears? Please see the Housing Stability Program for more information on how we can help.

Select the type of housing you want to apply for.

Social housing and rent-geared-to-income (RGI)

The Region of Durham funds and monitors most social housing providers in the region. We also operate the Durham Regional Local Housing Corporation (DRLHC). It is the largest social housing provider in the region.

All social housing providers offer rent-geared-to-income (RGI). Some private landlords also provide RGI under agreement with the Region of Durham. Keep in mind that there is a long wait list for RGI units.

Apply for an RGI unit

Affordable housing

Affordable housing is housing that was developed with government funding. Rents in affordable housing are about 80 per cent of the average market rent for similar units in the area. Affordable housing providers keep their own wait lists.

Apply for an affordable housing unit

Seniors' housing

Some social and affordable housing providers have properties where only seniors live. Others have specific units for seniors but also house non-seniors. Seniors’ housing may be rent-geared-to-income (RGI) or market rent, and some units may be modified for accessibility.

Apply for seniors' housing

Accessible (modified) housing

Some social and affordable housing providers have units that are modified to make them accessible for people using a wheelchair or with other special needs.

Apply for accessible (modified) housing

Alternative housing

Some social housing providers offer alternative housing for people who have experienced homelessness, or who have had difficulty finding and maintaining tenancies. They offer support services to help people move back into the community after long periods of homelessness or unstable housing.

People who live in alternative housing pay rent-geared-to-income (RGI). Contact the alternative housing provider directly to apply.

Cornerstone Community Association Durham Incorporated

454 Bloor Street East, Oshawa

For more information, call 905-433-3807.

Houses single transient men and women.

Cornerstone also has some units at Cormack Station and Northview Meadow Co-op.

John Howard Society

298-300 Anderson Street, Oshawa

For more information, call 905-579-8482.

Houses youth aged 16 to 22 years.

YWCA of Oshawa

55 McGrigor Street, Oshawa

For more information, call 905-728-5227.

Houses women with a history of emotional or psychiatric problems, woman-led sole-support parent households, physically disabled women, and abused women.

YWCA also has some units at Cormack Station.

Portable housing benefit

A portable housing benefit (PHB) is a monthly benefit paid directly to eligible low-income households to bridge the gap between affordable rent (roughly 30 per cent of income) and some or all of average market rent.

Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB)

The Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit is a federal-provincial portable housing benefit that is paid directly to eligible applicants to help them pay their rent. It can be used to live anywhere in Ontario. To be eligible to receive the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit, you must:

be on the Durham Access to Social Housing (DASH) wait list or eligible to be on the wait list
not be receiving rent-geared-to-income (RGI), the Durham Housing Benefit, another portable housing benefit, a housing allowance, rent supplement or other housing benefit
not be a homeowner

Priority for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit will be given to applicants who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, people with disabilities, survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking, Indigenous people and seniors.

Frequently asked questions

Durham Portable Housing Benefit (Durham PHB)

The Durham PHB is portable within Durham Region only.

To be eligible to receive a Durham PHB, you must:

Be on the Durham Access to Social Housing (DASH) wait list or eligible to be on the wait list.
Reside in the Durham Region.
Not be receiving rent-geared-to-income (RGI), the Durham Housing Benefit, another portable housing benefit, a housing allowance, rent supplement or other housing benefits.

Durham PHB Guidelines

Frequently asked questions

The average market rent in Durham used to calculate the Durham PHB is:

$1,576 – 1 bedroom
$1,672 – 2 bedrooms
$1,851 – 3 bedrooms
$2,040 – 4 or more bedrooms

Other community housing providers

Some community housing providers in Durham Region are not funded by the Region of Durham. They keep their own wait lists and may offer market rent units, subsidized units or units that have been modified for accessibility.

Apply for other community housing

Housing Services Division | housingservices@durham.ca | 905-668-7711 | 1-800-372-1102 | 905-666-6225 (fax)