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Under provincial housing legislation (the Housing Services Act) there is a special program called the Special Priority Program (SPP) for households with current or recent experience of domestic abuse or human trafficking that gives them priority access to Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing or Portable Housing Benefits . City of Brantford staff is responsible for determining eligibility for this program and helping individuals experiencing abuse apply for housing benefits and register for rental housing geared to their income.
For the purposes of Special Priority, abuse means one or more incidents of: physical or sexual violence, controlling behaviour, or intentional destruction of or intentional injury to property, or words, actions or gestures that threaten an individual or lead an individual to fear for his or her safety.
For survivors of human trafficking, those who are currently being trafficked or those who have exited trafficking within a period of three (3) months are eligible to apply for Special Priority Status (SPP).
| Definitions of Abuse |
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For the purposes of Special Priority, abuse means:
One or more incidents of: physical or sexual violence, controlling behaviour, or intentional destruction of or intentional injury to property, or words, actions or gestures that threaten an individual or lead an individual to fear for his or her safety.
Households can temporarily remove their application form from the centralized waitlist for up to 1 year for the purposes of continuing to live with, or returning to live with, the abusing individual. A household can only leverage this provision once.
This section has been amended to require that the record of abuse, as prepared by an individual who is able to verify abuse, must confirm:
- The name of the abused member
- A statement by the person preparing the record that they have reasonable grounds to believe that the member is being, or has been abused, by the abusing individual
- A description of the circumstances that indicate that the member is being, or has been abused
- Information about the person who prepared the record, including his or her name, occupation and any professional designation
- The date the record was prepared
For the purposes of Special Priority, the abuser must be:
- The abused person’s spouse, parent, child, or other relative, OR
- The abused person’s immigration sponsor, OR
- A person on whom the abused is emotionally, physically or financially dependent
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| Survivors of human trafficking |
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For survivors of human trafficking, those who are currently being trafficked or those who have exited trafficking within a period of 3 months are eligible to apply for SPP. A household can only apply for SPP under one stream.
This section has been amended to require that the record of abuse, as prepared by an individual who is able to verify abuse, must confirm:
- The name of the abused member
- A statement by the person preparing the record that they have reasonable grounds to believe that the member is being, or has been abused, by the abusing individual
- A description of the circumstances that indicate that the member is being, or has been abused
- Information about the person who prepared the record, including his or her name, occupation and any professional designation
- The date the record was prepared
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| Indicators of abuse |
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The following indicators determine whether the applicant’s situation falls within the definition of abuse for the purpose of Special Priority. The City of Brantford will decide whether or not the applicant is eligible for Special Priority ranking on the waiting list for affordable housing based on your letter explaining which indicators the applicant has experienced. It is helpful if you can include examples that describe the applicant’s situation.
- Intervention by police indicating that the applicant was abused by the abusing individual;
- Survivors of Human Trafficking;
- Physical injury caused to the applicant by the abusing individual;
- Application of force by the abusing individual against the applicant to force the applicant to engage in
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sexual activity against his or her will;
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One or more attempts to kill the applicant or another member of the household;
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Use of a weapon against the applicant or another member of the household;
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One or more incidents of abuse, including the following:
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Threatening to kill the applicant or another member of the household;
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Threatening to use a weapon against the applicant or another member of the household;
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Threatening to physically harm the applicant or another member of the household;
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Destroying or injuring or threatening to destroy or injure the applicant’s property;
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Intentionally killing or injuring pets or threatening to kill or injure pets;
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Threatening to harm or remove the applicant’s children from the household;
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Threatening to prevent the applicant from having access to his or her children;
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Forcing the applicant to perform degrading or humiliating acts;
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Enforcing social isolation on the applicant; terrorizing the applicant;
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Failing to provide or withholding the necessities of life;
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Threatening to withdraw from sponsoring the applicant as an immigrant;
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Threatening to take action that might lead to the applicant being deported;
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Other words, actions or gestures that threaten the applicant or lead the applicant to fear for his or her
safety;
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Undue or unwarranted control by the abusing individual over the applicant’s personal or financial
activities;
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One or more incidents of stalking or harassing behaviour against the applicant or another member of
the household.
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| One or more incidents of abuse, including the following: |
- Threatening to kill the applicant or another member of the household
- Threatening to use a weapon against the applicant or another member of the household
- Threatening to physically harm the applicant or another member of the household
- Destroying or injuring or threatening to destroy or injure the applicant’s property
- Intentionally killing or injuring pets or threatening to kill or injure pets
- Threatening to harm or remove the applicant’s children from the household
- Threatening to prevent the applicant from having access to his or her children
- Forcing the applicant to perform degrading or humiliating acts
- Enforcing social isolation on the applicant; terrorizing the applicant
- Failing to provide or withholding the necessities of life
- Threatening to withdraw from sponsoring the applicant as an immigrant
- Threatening to take action that might lead to the applicant being deported
- Other words, actions or gestures that threaten the applicant or lead the applicant to fear for his or her safety
- Undue or unwarranted control by the abusing individual over the applicant’s personal or financial activities
- One or more incidents of stalking or harassing behaviour against the applicant or another member of the household
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A household can only apply for SPP under one stream.
To apply for SPP, complete the Special Priority Status Form and submit to housingapplications@brantford.ca
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Under provincial housing legislation (the Housing Services Act) there is a special program called Urgent Priority (URG) for households currently experiencing homelessness that gives them priority access to Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing or Portable Housing Benefits.
For the purposes of allowing Homeless individuals and families priority to social housing in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant, the term “homeless” includes:
- Person living on the street (no shelter)
- Person living in a motel
- Person living in substandard housing that has been condemned by the City
- Person using the emergency shelter system as their primary residence
- Person whose housing has recently been destroyed by fire or natural disaster
- Person living with family or friends on a temporary basis for less than six months
- Person awaiting release from hospital or other time-limited treatment facility who cannot return to their former place of residence due to the modifications required to the home.
To apply for homeless status, please complete the Homeless Priority Form and submit to housingapplications@brantford.ca.
Individuals or families that are considered “homeless” are allowed a Homeless priority status. This means that individuals or families receive priority for one-in-ten vacancies on the waiting list, if the unit is of the appropriate size for the individual or family.
When the applicant’s name comes up for one of these units, they will be reassessed to determine if they are still considered homeless.
| What is the definition of homeless? |
For the purposes of allowing Homeless individuals and families priority to social housing in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant, the term “homeless” includes:
1. Person living on the street (no shelter)
2. Person living in a motel
3. Person living in substandard housing that has been condemned by the City
4. Person using the emergency shelter system as their primary residence
5. Person whose housing has recently been destroyed by fire or natural disaster
6. Person living with family or friends on a temporary basis for less than six months
7. Person awaiting release from hospital or other time-limited treatment facility who cannot return to their former place of residence due to the modifications required to the home |
| Verifying the applicant's situation |
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Because Homeless status allows the applicant to move ahead of other applicants on the waiting list for housing, the Housing Department must ensure that this status is reserved for those who truly need it. In order to assess the applicant’srequest for Homeless status, written verification of the applicant’s situation is required from someone who is not a member of the household, but has knowledge of the applicant’s homeless situation.
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SOAR Community Services Housing Resource Centre
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| The SOAR Community Services Housing Resource Centre is a free community service that helps housed and homeless individuals in Brantford-Brant to ensure that those at risk of homelessness maintain their housing and those experiencing homelessness have access to emergency shelter and support to find permanent housing.
Citizens who require services provided through the HRC can call 1-888-621-0034 or visit the SOAR Community Services Housing Resource Centre Website.
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Please contact the Applicant Services Coordinator if you have any questions or concerns about qualifying for Homeless status as a homeless individual or family, at 519-759-4150 or email housingapplications@brantford.ca
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