When rent takes most of your income, every other bill becomes a struggle. The Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit is one of the programs that can help close that gap, and unlike most housing help, it moves with you when you move.
At Friendship House in Brantford, we hear every week how hard it is to find rent that fits a small budget. This guide explains the benefit in plain language, using information from the City of Brantford.
Quick answer
What is the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit?
It is a monthly payment for low-income households to help with housing costs. It generally pays the difference between 30% of your household income and the average market rent in your area. It is tied to your household, not to a unit, so you keep it if you move within Ontario. In Brantford, you are considered through the centralized housing wait list, and SOAR Community Services can help with a referral.
What the benefit is
The City of Brantford’s rental assistance page (opens in a new tab) describes the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) as a portable housing benefit: a monthly subsidy, or housing allowance, for low-income households. It is administered by the Province of Ontario and started on April 1, 2020.
Because the benefit belongs to your household rather than an apartment, you can choose where you live, closer to family, support networks, schools or work, and keep the help if you move anywhere in Ontario.
How much it pays
The City says the benefit pays the difference between 30% of your household’s income and the average market rent in the area. For people on social assistance, it pays the difference between the shelter allowance and the household’s rent and utility costs.
The Province of Ontario reviews the benefit amount every year. Your own rent does not set the payment; it is based on average market rent for the area.
Who gets priority
The benefit is meant for people in serious housing need. The City lists these priority groups under the National Housing Strategy:
- survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking
- people experiencing or at risk of homelessness
- Indigenous people
- seniors
- people with disabilities
Who is eligible
To receive the benefit, the City says a household must:
- be on the centralized housing wait list, or meet the rules to be on it
- not already get a housing subsidy or other government housing benefit, other than social assistance shelter payments
- agree to be removed from the centralized wait list if they get the benefit
That last point matters. If you accept the benefit, you give up your place on the wait list for rent-geared-to-income housing, so think about which option suits you best.
How it compares with other rent help
| Program | How it works | Moves with you? |
|---|---|---|
| Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit | Monthly payment toward rent in a home you choose | Yes, anywhere in Ontario |
| Rent-geared-to-income housing | Rent set at about 30% of income in community housing | No, tied to the unit |
| Rent Benefit Program | Subsidized rent in a private building with a City agreement | Some benefits are portable |
Our guide to rent-geared-to-income housing in Brantford (opens in a new tab) explains how the centralized wait list works and how to apply.
How to apply
There is no separate public application form on the City’s page. Instead, you are considered in one of these ways:
- Survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking who submit a Special Priority Program form with their social housing application are automatically considered.
- SOAR Community Services can help eligible people complete a referral to the program.
Call SOAR at 1-888-621-0034, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to talk about the program and ask for a referral. Questions about the program can also go to housingapplications@brantford.ca.
If you already get the benefit
Call the Ontario Ministry of Finance with questions about your payments, or to update your household information, at 1-888-544-5101. The TTY line is 1-800-263-7776.
Tell them promptly about changes to your income or the people living with you, so your payment stays correct.
The City’s Rent Benefit Program
The City also runs a Rent Benefit Program, which subsidizes rent in privately owned buildings through agreements with City of Brantford Housing Services. Tenants pay an affordable rent based on their income, and the City tops it up to the full market rent.
The City says there are, on average, more than 300 units in Brantford and Brant County receiving a rent benefit. Tenants are chosen from the Housing Services wait list and sign a standard lease with the landlord.
Private landlords can offer units to the program by sending the City a Rent Supplement Landlord Application Form with details such as the type of building, number of units, unit size and monthly rent. The City inspects units and negotiates rents before approving them, and units with very high rents or luxury features are not chosen.
Help to keep your home
SOAR’s Housing Resource Centre at 73 Murray Street helps people at risk of homelessness keep their housing. Staff can help with applications for the centralized wait list and the Housing Stability Fund, and with housing searches and tenant rights.
The City’s Housing Stability team also runs the Brantford-Brant Stay Housed Initiative, a pilot that began in April 2026. It offers in-home case management to tenants of certain non-profit and co-operative housing providers who are at risk of an eviction that can still be avoided, with help on money management, pests, hoarding, home care and more. A tenant must agree to take part, and referrals use the intake form on the City’s website.
Other help with housing costs
Every bit of income helps with rent. Our guides to the Ontario Trillium Benefit (opens in a new tab), the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (opens in a new tab) and the Ontario Electricity Support Program (opens in a new tab) explain help you may be missing.
If you are at risk of losing your home, read our guides to eviction notices in Ontario (opens in a new tab) and emergency shelter in Brantford (opens in a new tab).
A free meal on Grey Street
Friendship House at 452 Grey Street serves coffee, tea and a light breakfast from 8 a.m. and a hot meal Monday to Thursday, 10 to 11 a.m., and runs the Food Bank on Wednesdays (opens in a new tab). When rent eats up the budget, a free meal can help stretch it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit?
A monthly payment that helps low-income households pay rent. It is tied to the household, so it moves with you within Ontario.
How much does the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit pay?
Generally the difference between 30% of your household income and the average market rent in your area.
How do I apply in Brantford?
You are considered through the centralized housing wait list. SOAR Community Services can help with a referral at 1-888-621-0034.
Do I lose my place on the wait list?
Yes. Households that get the benefit must agree to be removed from the centralized wait list.
Who do I call if I already get the benefit?
The Ontario Ministry of Finance at 1-888-544-5101, or 1-800-263-7776 for TTY.
Housing help can take time, so ask early and ask often. In the meantime, our free services at Friendship House (opens in a new tab) are here for you.
