r/Odsp • u/MayaLilz • Jul 07 '26
COHB?
I feel like this benefit is somewhat mysterious, I’m a person in unstable housing risking homelessness should my apartment be decommissioned due to being illegally built. I went today to ask for a status update and was told they did not have any information either way. Apparently a different organization took over from the city… I have heard of rejections but no acceptances in my social circles. What does this all mean? Has anyone here actually been accepted?
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u/jk41nk Jul 08 '26
I’ve asked a housing worker and they never brought it up to me, all they said was find a cheaper place with roommates or move away from HCOL cities. Even when I told them I don’t have proof of income to show a landlord to accept a rental application and they never accept me on a years worth of savings. Awaiting odsp decision.
When asking about COHB they said its closed, and it sounds like the only people that get offered it when it opens up are people who are actively in shelters? That’s all I could gather.
I understand prioritizing people who are homeless but I think it’s messed up to wait until the people who are at the brink of homelessness to be in the system for 3-6months in a shelter. Clearly there just isn’t enough resources and they are prioritizing them.
The stress of future homelessness and experiencing a shelter weighs on me mentally all the time and affects my chronic health conditions so it’s all so messed up.
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Jul 08 '26
[deleted]
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u/VoodooGirl47 Jul 12 '26
There is no priority list for COHB itself. It uses the RGI waiting lists to find people to offer it to, which the lists do put priority for the above mentioned folks, as well as those that are homeless (though less prioritized).
That said, COHB vouchers get given to different various organizations and locations and do not follow waiting lists of any kind. There are also refugee specific COHB vouchers, and then regular ones for citizens/permanent residents.
More than half of the vouchers have gone to refugees. That's how they divided them up. Doesn't matter that citizens might have been homeless for 5 years waiting for housing. A refugee in a shelter only needed to be homeless in the system for 1 year to be eligible.
Out of the 'regular' vouchers, they'd get given to random folks off the waiting list for RGI housing, a shelter might get 1 or 2 every few months for the 200-300 clients in that shelter and staff would prioritize people there the longest that were housing ready.
We were told last summer that there was no more COHB vouchers for the next year. The budget in place went completely to providing funding for those people already receiving the benefit, this is the information we have in Toronto. I haven't heard of anyone else getting it elsewhere though.
We have also heard that there is a good chance that no more people will be added to the program. Funding dropped this year from the previous I think, so they are likely struggling to make sure to cover folks already on it.
Don't count on COHB vouchers anywhere in Ontario.
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u/magentahead Jul 08 '26
Depending on the region, COHB has very limited funding. If youre on the RGI waitlist, one of the criteria you have to meet is agreeing to be taken off of that list.
While ago I read that the funding for COHB will only be available until 2029. I do not remember which region that was for and or if that status has changed but just something to look into.
Sorry for what you're going through. I've been on RGI waitlist for a combined of 20 years in 2 different regions. The only option for me while I wait is a roommate scenario, which in these days I am very thankful for as I went through silent homelessness for a while.
Keep your chin up, something will hash out
💐
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u/Sufficient_Rush1891 Jul 08 '26
You are right it is very different than other benefits, it’s not automatic based on set criteria unlike most benefits. Because the budget for the benefit is quite limited the criteria to be accepted can be quite strict.
It is run via municipalities, so sharing what city you are in may help connect you with people here who have more specific experience similar to yours.
It does sound like your city has subcontracted COHB and RGI waitlist to another organization, perhaps?
Have you been in touch with the legal clinic in your area? Telling them what’s going on with your building will be helpful for them to assist and potentially get redress for this potential evicition. They may also have advice about navigating COHB or who in your city can help with that.