Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs for Applicants
The Haldimand Norfolk Housing Corporation is one of 9 Local Housing Corporations in Ontario and is the largest provider of Community Housing in Haldimand and Norfolk.
We currently own 416 units between the two counties and also provide full property management services for an additional 128 units owned by other Non-Profit Housing Corporations. In total, we currently look after 544 homes in Haldimand Norfolk which house over 1000 community members.
Although we are “share-owned” by Haldimand County and Norfolk County, we are a separate arm’s length corporation and separate from Housing Services division of Norfolk County. The Housing Services division of Norfolk County manages the Centralized Waiting List and other Housing Programs for both Haldimand County and Norfolk County while HNHC is a Housing Provider/Landlord.
We house seniors, individuals, and families living independently in apartments and single-family townhomes. Currently, 97% of our homes are RGI (Rent-Geared-to-Income), while 3% are Market Rent apartments for seniors.
We are hoping to build new Affordable Housing in the near future so keep an eye on our “Latest News” page for updates on our progress!
Rent-geared-to-income, also known as subsidized housing, is a form of housing assistance where a tenant’s rent is calculated on 30 percent of the gross household income, with some variance depending on utilities. The 30 percent rule is set by the Housing Services Act. It is called subsidized because the Municipality pays the housing provider the difference between the RGI rent and what the market rent is for the unit. To be eligible to live in this building you must earn less than the household income limits established by the Province. Verification of your income is also required. The RGI rent for residents who receive Ontario Works or are on the Ontario Disability Support program is calculated according to a rent scale outlined in the Housing Services Act, plus utilities.
Affordable Housing rents are set at below-market levels but are not necessarily rent-geared-to-income; this means that rents charged are collected like any other landlord regardless of any changes that may occur in your financial circumstances.
All Subsidized or RGI housing in Ontario is legislated under the Housing Services Act and is subject to the Centralized Waiting List which is managed by Norfolk County for both Haldimand County and Norfolk County.
When a Housing Provider has an RGI unit available, they contact the County’s Housing Office for a current waitlist for the specific property with a vacancy. The Housing Provider contacts the next applicant on this waitlist to offer the available unit. If they decline, the next applicant is contacted, and so on, until an applicant accepts the available unit.
You can find out more about the programs offered by the County’s Housing Services department on their website: https://hnhousing.org/
You can also download the RGI application and find out more about community housing on their website: https://hnhousing.org/housing-services/rent-geared-to-income-housing/
The direct link to the application is: http://hnhousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/RGI-Housing-Application.pdf
Once completed you submit the application directly to Haldimand Norfolk Health, Social Services and Housing (detailed instructions are on the application).
The County’s Housing Office also offers some emergency housing options, you can contact their office to discuss what options are available if you are at risk for homelessness.
The Housing office can be reached at: 519-426-6170 (in Norfolk County) or 905-318-6623 (in Haldimand County):
- For applications and the waitlist, dial extension 3235
- To speak with someone in the emergency* housing office, dial extension 3134
- For the Housing Stability Bank*, dial extension 3234
* For more information on Emergency Programs, visit https://hnhousing.org/homeless-prevention-services/emergency-programs/
The housing office can be reached by email at: housing@hnhss.ca
As the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager for both Haldimand and Norfolk, the County’s Housing Office provides an array of services including processing applications and managing the RGI waitlist, the Housing Allowance Program, Homeownership Program, Ontario Renovates, and Homelessness Prevention Services.
Waitlists vary depending on the property and it’s very difficult to estimate wait times because it depends on when current residents move out. We can only use historical data to give average wait times in the past. For RGI housing, you would need to ask the County’s Housing Office since they manage the waitlist and can look at past data. For our market rent housing, you can contact one of our Property Management Assistants for more information. See our contact information below or submit an inquiry to hnhc@hnhousing.ca
As of July 1, 2021, rent is calculated using new “Simplified RGI” rules. Rent is calculated by taking 30% of your Adjusted Net Income (or Adjusted Family Net Income for family homes) as determined by your most recent income tax return, dividing by 12 months, and adjusting for utility charges or allowances (if applicable). Depending on the unit, if utilities are included in your rent, an amount will be added to the rent. If you pay utilities yourself, a deduction may be made. The amount added or deducted is based on rent tables provided by the Province.
You must file your tax return each year to remain eligible for subsidy. Income for all full-time students is exempt and child support is now exempt as well.
Minimum rent in Ontario is currently set at $129 and will be indexed annually. If the RGI calculation is less than the minimum rent, the current minimum rent at that time will apply.
NOTE: Rent for tenants who receive Ontario Works or ODSP benefits are set according to the Provincial rate tables. If you have other income in addition to your OW/ODSP your rent may be determined using the 30% calculation.
For RGI tenants, rent must be calculated once per year during an Annual Income Review. This requires all RGI tenants to submit their Notice of Assessment or Proof of Income statement annually. Tenants who do not provide an Annual Income Return will lose their rent subsidy as per the Housing Services Act and will be required to pay the market rent for their unit.
Mid-year rent adjustments are allowed only in certain situations and only allowed once per year. Contact your property manager if your income changes.
It depends on the property. Utilities are paid by the tenant in all of our family homes; however, it’s included in the rent in most of our apartments. You will be advised about this when offered a unit.
This can vary depending on the property. Please visit our Portfolio pages for more details. Click here for Haldimand County properties, click here for Norfolk County properties.
In Haldimand County, we have housing in Dunnville, Caledonia, and Hagersville. In Norfolk County, we have housing in Simcoe, Delhi, Port Dover, Port Rowan, and Waterford.
We hope to build new Affordable Housing in the future, any updates will be posted on our “Latest News” page as we get closer to our goal.
Because we have a small staff, historically we have not been able to show our units. We do understand that this may be important for an applicant when deciding to accept a unit. If you are offered a unit and would like to see it first, we will do our best to accommodate this request; however, in some cases, we might only be able to show you a similar unit.
We are hoping to add this information to our website in the near future. In the meantime, if you are offered a unit we’ll do our best to provide this information.
We consider ourselves a pet-friendly landlord and understand the improved quality of life that can be provided by having a small furry friend. As such, you may have a pet but you are responsible for its behaviour and any damage it may cause. You must follow the County’s by-laws and be aware that if your pet becomes a problem for other residents, if you allow it to wander out of your home without a leash, if you don’t pick up after your pet, these behaviours may put your tenancy at risk.
As legislated by the Housing Services Act, if you owe any money for arrears, including money for damages, you need to make arrangements for payment or sign a repayment agreement with the Housing Provider. Your debt must be paid or you must have a signed repayment agreement in place before you can re-apply for community housing.
FAQs for Existing Tenants
You can pay your rent by Pre-Authorized Debit (click here for an application), E-transfer (click here for more details), cheque, or money order.
Our office is currently closed to the public, if you prefer not to mail your cheque/money order, you can drop it off in the mail slot at our office at Unit 2 – 25 Kent Street North, Simcoe, N3Y 3S1. Please put your cheque/money order in a sealed envelope and make sure that your name and address are included.
You are required to provide us with 60 days’ written notice by completing an N9 form which we can provide to you or you can print off yourself through the Landlord and Tenant Board website (click here for a direct link). The termination date must be the last day of the rental period. For example, if you give notice on June 15, your termination date would be August 31st. You can submit this to your Property Manager by email (hnhc@hnhousing.ca), mail, drop it off at our office, or fax: 519-426-7630.
If you have received an N4 this means that you did not pay your rent as of the date on the N4. As long as you pay your rent by the date listed on the N4 you will not be evicted. An N4 is issued automatically anytime rent is late past the 5th day of the month.
If you do not submit your Annual Income Review you will lose your subsidy. This means that you will be required to pay the Market Rent amount for your unit. You must also submit all required documents for the review to be completed, if you don’t submit all required documents, you will lose your subsidy.
Unfortunately, there is a limit to how long your guests can stay as per your lease. If your guests stay longer than 7 days, your rent payments may be impacted since your rent is subsidized. You must get permission from your Property Manager to have a guest in your unit. To view the Guest Policy and Request Form, please click here. Please do not avoid reporting it as this can result in the loss of your subsidy completely.
Unfortunately, there is a limit to how long your guests can stay as per your lease. If your guests stay longer than 7 days, your rent payments may be impacted since your rent is subsidized. You must get permission from your Property Manager to have a guest in your unit. To view the Guest Policy and Request Form, please click here. Please do not avoid reporting it as this can result in the loss of your subsidy completely.
Unfortunately, there is a limit to how long your guests can stay as per your lease. If your guests stay longer than 7 days, your rent payments may be impacted since your rent is subsidized. You must get permission from your Property Manager to have a guest in your unit. To view the Guest Policy and Request Form, please click here. Please do not avoid reporting it as this can result in the loss of your subsidy completely.
You can call the office at (519) 426–7792, ext. 116 for Norfolk County, and 1–800–265–2819, ext. 113 for Haldimand County and speak to your Property Management Assistant. Or, the easiest way is to enter a maintenance request online by clicking here. Note: Online requests will not be seen until the next business day.
For after-hours emergencies, please call the telephone numbers above and our 24-hour answering service will assist you.
Please note that our after-hours answering service will only take emergency and emergency repair calls, for any non-emergencies they will ask you to call back during business hours or to submit your request online.
The Housing Corporation considers the following to be emergencies: no heat, no hydro, burst pipe that is gushing water, sewer backup, fire, or death. Needless to say, for fire or death, please call 911 immediately!
For maintenance emergencies, please call our office right away, if it’s after hours the answering service will pick up and will take your information and page the after-hours on-call duty manager right away.
In Norfolk County, call 519-426-7792, ext. 116 in Haldimand County call 1-800-265-2819, ext. 113. (After hours, don’t dial the extension, just stay on the line for the answering service).
After hours, the on-call duty manager will call a contractor and ask them to attend as soon as possible. Please note that sometimes a staff person will advise you that your call is not considered an emergency and that we will issue the work order on the next business day. For example, if the pipes have let go under your kitchen sink, we will ask that you not use the sink until the next business day. As another example, if you have hydro to half your house, and it’s after 11:00 p.m., we may ask you to wait until the morning, simply because contractors may not be available at this time.
If you have no heat and it is after hours, please call the office at (519) 426–7792 for Norfolk County or 1-800-265-2819 for Haldimand County and you will be directed to an answering service and they will reach the manager on call to assist you.
If you can find the shut-off for that specified area, please turn it off. Immediately contact your Property Management Assistant and they will instruct you as to what to do next. A contractor will be in contact to fix the leak and an inspection may be done to check for water damage.
If it’s after hours, please call the office at (519) 426–7792 for Norfolk County or 1-800-265-2819 for Haldimand County and you will be directed to an answering service and they will reach the manager on call to assist you.
Contact the office as soon as you notice any pests. It’s important that we are able to address the issue quickly so they don’t get out of hand or affect other units. You will not be evicted for reporting a pest issue, so please call or email as soon as you notice them.
You will not be charged to have your unit treated for pests as long as you follow the directions of the contractor. Your cooperation is often needed to deal with and resolve a pest issue.
Any alterations made to the unit must be changed back at the time of move-out. If you paint your unit you will be required to return it to the same colour before you move out.
If you have lost your key or your building access card and need a replacement, please call your Property Management Assistant, or complete an online Key Request. (If it’s after hours and you are locked out of your unit, do not use the online Key Request Form as it is only monitored during business hours, for an emergency lockout, see below*). You will need to provide the 4 digit code on your key. The cost of a key is $20 and $5 for a building access card.
*If it is after hours and you are locked out, please call the office and you will be transferred to our Answering Service. The on-duty manager will be paged and will make arrangements with you to unlock your door. **Please note there is an $80 after-hours lockout tenant charge you will be responsible for. If you can stay with someone until the office opens you will not be charged the after-hours fee. Arrangements will be made to let you into your unit during regular office hours.
Yes. You may purchase extra keys or building access cards by completing a key request form here, or by calling the office. Additional keys are $20.00 each and Building Access cards are $5.00 each. Additional keys will only be released to the tenant and you will be asked to show a photo ID.
Please call the office and report any issues with your smoke detectors. It may just require a battery change but a contractor can come and fix the issue.
If it’s after hours, please call the office at (519) 426–7792 for Norfolk County, and 1–800–265–2819 for Haldimand County and you will be directed to an answering service and they will reach the manager on call to assist you.
You are required by law to report any problems with your smoke detector to the landlord. It is against the law for tenants to remove the batteries or tamper with the smoke alarm in any way.
Maintenance and repair requests are completed as quickly as possible and are prioritized by the time of call, availability of staff/resources, and the nature and severity of the issue.
A standard repair is required to be completed within 3 weeks of it being issued unless otherwise deferred. Urgent or Emergency repairs are typically completed within 1– 3 days as determined by your Property Management Team. We will do our best to get your repair taken care of as soon as possible.
Yes. Tenants should remain at home for a repair or maintenance visit unless pre-arranged with your Property Manager. If you cannot be home, please contact your Property Manager to give them permission to enter your home to provide access to the contractor. HNHC may also issue a 24 Hour Written Notice of Entry to enter a unit to complete repairs.
If you are not available at the scheduled time to let the contractor into your home please contact the contractor to reschedule. If they did not leave you their contact information, please call your Property Management Assistant to have the appointment rescheduled. If you do not reschedule the appointment and the contractor attends but is not able to complete the repair, you will be charged for the visit. 24 hours notice is needed to reschedule appointments.
If you have a pet, please let your Property Manager or Property Management Assistant know in advance. Your pet may need to be caged or removed from the home during your maintenance visit.
Your feedback is very important to us. Please complete our online maintenance survey by clicking here. Our internal maintenance staff may leave a printed survey in your unit. Please complete your survey and drop it into the “Have Your Say” box located in the front lobby. (Surveys will also be available at the “Have Your Say” box in the front lobby).
We are a pet-friendly corporation. You are required to sign a pet policy and agree to clean up after your pet and repair or pay for any damages caused by your pet. You must keep your pet on a leash at all times while outside your unit, and you are required to follow Haldimand or Norfolk County Pet By-Laws.
We do not permit the use of Satellite dishes. You are required to sign an undertaking stating that you will not mount a satellite dish on any of our units. You are permitted to install cable and internet.
Pools that can hold more than 18” of water are not allowed. You will be asked to remove the pool if it is above this height.
We will do our best to resolve your concerns; however, the HNHC must abide by the landlord and tenant laws of Ontario in its response to tenant issues. If your complaint is regarding another tenant(s), please be advised that we will investigate your concerns and proceed in a manner that respects both the laws of Ontario and the tenant’s rights.
All complaints must be in writing and include date(s) and time(s) of all occurrences. You can submit your complaint online by clicking here. Complaints can be submitted by email (hnhc@hnhousing.ca) or mailed to us at 2-25 Kent Street North, Simcoe, ON N3Y 3S1.
Your safety is important to us. If the problem is urgent in nature and you feel unsafe, please call the OPP immediately and notify us after. For any complaints regarding criminal behaviour, please contact the OPP first. When you make your complaint, please provide the Incident number and attending Officer’s name.
The Landlord & Tenant Board is the best place to get accurate information. You can visit their website here: https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/ They have a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions page here: https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/faqs/
You can also contact the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Community Legal Clinic for support regarding Residential Tenancies. https://www.bhnlegalclinic.ca/services/
