1. A Portable Housing Benefit for Ontario
Karen Myers
October 5, 2017

2. Affordable housing crisis . . .
“Rising income inequality, a challenging labour market and scarcity of rental housing stock people can afford, has created a crisis that makes too many families vulnerable.”
“Rent is the single biggest expense for Canadian households living with low incomes.”
“This crisis is far too big to be fixed by construction alone.”

3. . . . an innovative solution
Direct assistance to renters is a cost-effective way to alleviate homelessness and core housing need
Five provinces already have a portable housing benefit
Could be a single, harmonized, co-funded federal- provincial-territorial program launched as part of the National Housing Strategy

4. . . . an immediate solution
By providing eligible renter households with direct financial assistance, we can immediately improve the well-being of a large number of households

5. A bold idea Portable housing benefit would: Reduce core housing need
Reduce homelessness
Foster social inclusion
Promote choice and autonomy
Help modernize our income security system
Facilitate transition of social housing sector and harmonize housing supports

6. Who would receive it and how?
Available to all renter households in core housing need
Tied to the individual or family, not the building or unit
Tax system used to determine eligibility and payment
Municipally delivered on-ramp to ensure responsiveness to urgent need

7. What could a housing benefit achieve?
All persons of low or modest income paying unaffordable rent brought closer to housing affordability
No low or modest income family in Ontario will have to pay more than 50% of their income on rent

8. Benefit design
Universal – Available to all renter households in core housing need
Aligned with need – Households receive amount that aligns with the gap between their income and actual rent
Targeted – Households in deeper core housing need are subsidized more
Mitigates rent inflation – Households bear a portion of cost of increased rent, reducing upward pressure on rents (partial gap coverage)

10. Final thoughts
A national, portable housing benefit would have a real, meaningful impact on thousands of Canadian households by giving them choice and the means to afford rent