Rent-geared-to-income rates fair

A recent audit of Durham Region’s Rent-Geared-To-Income (RGI) program shows tenants are being charged appropriately for rent.

A report from the region’s finance and social services committees shows an overall error rate of 7.7 per cent for 2019, down from 13.3 per cent in 2018, with no significant impact to the tenant housing charge or subsidy provided by the region.

RGI, a type of housing assistance, allows a tenant to pay about 30 per cent of their income for rent. There are RGI units at all social housing providers in Durham Region. Some private landlords offer RGI.

Social housing providers, through service agreements with the region, are responsible for the RGI assessments and calculations to make it easier for both the landlords and the tenants.

A minimum of 20 per cent of the RGI files are reviewed by the region’s finance and social services departments for each housing provider, according to the report, which helps to identify issues such as incorrect completion of calculations, or areas where additional training may be beneficial.

On-site reviews were conducted at 40 housing providers representing 4,417 RGI households in 2019.

“Majority of social housing providers are correctly completing RGI calculations, thus reducing potential subsidy overpayment by the region while ensuring tenants contribute an appropriate amount for their housing charges,” the report reads.

According to the region’s website, there is a wait list for RGI. To apply, an application must be filled out and submitted to Durham Access to Social Housing (DASH), which runs the wait list for RGI and modified units. Those eligible will be placed on the wait list.

For more information on RGI, visit the region’s website at www.durham.ca.