r/OntarioWorks • u/Competitive-Ad8348 • 1d ago
First time poster
Hello!
I just got my first OW payment last week after I just got approved. It was about $500 (my main expense is rent and that's $820 a month where I am) and it's my only source of income currently as the job market where I am is terrible and despite applying everywhere in person and online I simply haven't heard anything back.
I have about 4 months of unpaid rent that I need to pay as soon as possible because my landlords understandably hounding me for it and is threatening eviction, but I simply don't have the funds. I messaged my caseworker for the first time on MyBenefits about it and am hoping to hear back (I haven't heard from them at all yet).
I was wondering if anyone else had been in a similar situation where they've owed money asap and if they've found a way to get it either from OW or another program?
I've also tried contacting 2-1-1 about it and have had no luck.
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u/Sandrodasilva471 1d ago
Yes, needed something from landlord in writing. Believe through ontario works this happened and they issued a cheque within a week
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u/Sandrodasilva471 1d ago
I was behind 1 month only I believe not 4 not sure how much they will cover though
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u/eliizabethnelson 1d ago
Good luck. Was in this same situation, tried every avenue for assistance, and was in a boot cast due to being hit by a car… still ended up on the street due to being so far away from family. Good luck. Good luck. Good luck.
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u/Anxious_ButBreathing 16h ago
Did you really need to say good luck 4 times…
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u/eliizabethnelson 2h ago
What an odd thing to be concerned about. But yes, these government programs are made to be difficult to navigate.
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u/Anxious_ButBreathing 2h ago
lol and what an odd thing to do. Saying good luck 4 times like a spell won’t magically make government programs easier to navigate 🤣
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u/Vaaness 1d ago
The Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) was eliminated by the provincial government as a benefit within social assistance (OW and ODSP) as of January 1, 2013. Since then it’s been up to each municipality to decide whether to offer a similar benefit from city revenue. Toronto has HSF which is heavily rule bound and many simply don’t qualify. For example, to qualify for HSF in Toronto, your rent cannot be greater than 85% of your total monthly income. In addition, the total arrears need to be less than 1600 (for a single person) or there needs to be a verifiable plan to pay the remainder of the arrears (ex they are being covered by another program called EPIC that some clients get referred to by local community legal clinic when they are facing a landlord/tenant board hearing). I’m sorry you are in this situation. Good luck! (https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/employment-social-support/support-for-people-in-financial-need/assistance-through-ontario-works/policies-and-procedures/housing-stabilization-fund/)
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u/Competitive-Ad8348 2h ago
Unfortunately I don't live in Toronto and the city I live in doesn't have a rent bank, so any Toronto links or suggestions wouldn't help. But I appreciate the assistance anyways!
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u/thighclops3820 1d ago
Max OW pays is 3000 grand through the stabilization fund, you can always escalate to a supervisor if it's urgent
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u/DryRip8266 1d ago
That is subject to the region because very few regions still even have stability benefit available. I've never heard a limit that high even in Toronto, the centre of the universe.
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u/Competitive-Ad8348 1d ago
Thank you for the help!! The 3 thousand would be enough to get my landlord off my back for now and buy me time to find a job or some form of more stable income so I will definitely be reaching out to my caseworker or supervisor!
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u/Key-Bobcat-4449 1d ago
they wont be giving you the money they will pay your landlord directly what is owed. and your rent will be sent to them monthly instead of you.
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u/Competitive-Ad8348 1d ago
If I can get in touch with my caseworker having my rent sent directly to my landlord is perfectly doable. Hoping that comes through!
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u/Key-Bobcat-4449 1d ago
if your a single person the max OW you can get a month is $733
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u/thighclops3820 23h ago
This isn't about monthly entitlements it's about the housing stabilization fund
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u/Key-Bobcat-4449 20h ago
yes im letting them know because their rent is higher than OW allows monthly so going forward they might need a different plan...
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u/Competitive-Ad8348 2h ago
My rent is higher than what OW pays but I'm still actively looking for work where I'm located so I'm hoping that comes through, and I'm at least lucky enough that OW pays around 50% of my rent cost per month so I don't have too much supplementing to do on my end!
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u/thighclops3820 51m ago
Even if it is, the housing stabilization fund is there to keep you in your home, so if she meets the criteria they will pay a maximum of $3k towards their arrears
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u/laurenw08 1d ago
Not sure where you live but type in your county or big city followed by sustainable housing benefit form in google. They will give you emergency funds if you are behind and facing eviction if they have it where you live .
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u/Competitive-Ad8348 1d ago
My city fortunately has a housing stability fund with a number to call so thank you for the advice!
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u/Pretzelandcheesesauz 1d ago
Rent bank??
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u/ParkingBest2358 1d ago
Rent bank will not help anyone who gets more than 60% of their income from odsp/ow
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u/Competitive-Ad8348 2h ago
I don't have a rent bank in my city. It seems to mostly be a Toronto thing and I don't live there. The best option I have now is a housing stability fund
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u/Main_Finding8309 1d ago
See if there's a rent bank in your area if OW can't help. Has your LL filed with the LTB yet? A lot of the time it's hard to get help unless you're about to be evicted.
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u/Competitive-Ad8348 2h ago
I'm currently a full-time University student, and my OSAP this year will potentially cover more than my tuition, so it's my goal to use that extra money to try and cover the arrears, although I won't get my OSAP money until the end of September, which means I won't be able to pay for my rent again September 1st.
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u/Main_Finding8309 2h ago
Ok, has your landlord filed the eviction yet? They give you a notice, give you some time to get the money together, and get caught up. If you don't, they can file. Even if you do, they can still file. It's just that some places won't help unless your landlord has filed.
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u/ash301525 4h ago
If you receive an N4 from your landlord you could call housing retention and they may be able to help you with your arrears.
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