ProvincialRent supplement OntarioVerified June 2026

Special Priority Policy (SPP) — Priority Access to Social Housing for Survivors of Abuse and Trafficking

If you are leaving abuse or human trafficking, Ontario can move you to the TOP of the social-housing (rent-geared-to-income) waiting list. It is called the Special Priority Policy. You apply through your local Service Manager. It is free, and you only need ONE person — like a shelter worker, social worker, victim-services worker, or the police — to confirm the abuse.

What you get

Monthly money toward your rent

Who it's for

You are a survivor of abuse or human trafficking, you want to live permanently away from the abuser, and you apply within three months of last living with them (for trafficking: while it is happening or within three months after it stops).

Start your application

This takes you to the official website

What to have ready

Documents they may ask for

Government ID for everyone in your household, if available
A copy of your lease or rent agreement
Recent rent receipt, ledger, or proof of what you owe
Recent pay stubs, benefit statement, or income proof
ODSP, Ontario Works, CPP, OAS, or other benefit statement if you have one
Recent bank statement, if the program asks for it

What to say when you call

“Hi, I found your housing support program and I want to check if I can apply. Can you tell me the current rules, documents needed, and the next step?”

Use the official page first, then call 211 if you are not sure where to start.

What to do next

Check off each step as you go — we'll remember where you are.

Find your local Service Manager (the municipality or district that administers social housing) using the Service Manager lookup on ontario.ca.
Visit that Service Manager's website to get the application forms for RGI assistance and the Special Priority Policy, and submit them.
Provide verification of the abuse or trafficking. Under O. Reg. 298/01, the Service Manager accepts a record (written or verbal) from one approved professional — a shelter worker, social worker or social service worker, victim-services worker, or other listed professional — or a record of police intervention indicating abuse. They cannot require verification from more than one person.
If approved, your household is placed at the top of the Service Manager's RGI waiting list (after any earlier SPP households).
Ask your Service Manager about also applying for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB), since survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking are a COHB priority group.
If you are in immediate danger or need crisis support while applying, call the Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1-866-863-0511 (24/7) or 211 for local shelters and supports.

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The fine print

More details about the money

No fixed dollar amount. SPP is a priority-placement rule, not a cash benefit: it moves the household to the top of the local RGI social-housing waiting list. Once housed, rent is geared to income (generally about 30% of household income). Survivors can also ask their Service Manager about the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB), a separate monthly portable rent benefit for which survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking are a priority group.

Amounts and eligibility change. Confirm the current figure with the program administrator through the official link before you rely on it.

The full eligibility rules

You must be eligible for both RGI assistance and the Special Priority Policy. RGI basics: at least one household member is 16+ and able to live independently; each member is a Canadian citizen, has applied for permanent residence, or has made a refugee claim; and household income/assets are within local limits. SPP-specific: survivors of abuse must apply while living with the abuser or within three months of last living together, and intend to live permanently apart from the abuser; survivors of human trafficking must apply while the trafficking is ongoing or within three months after it has stopped.

Good to know

VERIFIED 2026-06-11 against official sources actually read: (1) ontario.ca 'Priority access to housing for survivors of abuse and trafficking' (https://www.ontario.ca/page/priority-access-housing-survivors-abuse-and-trafficking) — confirms SPP is live under the Housing Services Act, 2011, top-of-waiting-list placement, RGI + SPP dual eligibility, and the three-month application windows for abuse and trafficking; how-to-apply = via local Service Manager. (2) O. Reg. 298/01 (https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/010298/v11) — confirms acceptable verification: a written or verbal record from one approved individual (shelter worker, social/social-service worker, victim-services worker, etc.) OR a record of police intervention; Service Manager cannot require verification from more than one person. This replaces the panel must-fix #5 gap left by the defunct PHB-SPP entry (slug ontario-portable-housing-benefit-special-priority, lifecycle=superseded) which told survivors 'do not apply'. SPP is the LIVE pathway. Exact proof-document list is set locally by each Service Manager and was not enumerated on the pages read, so none is invented here.

Official sources we checked

Official program page

This is a summary to get you started — the official page always has the final say. Spot something wrong? Tell us.

This guide is published by Mithulan Perinpanayagam, CPA, CA, who also co-founds Foundation Capital, a private real-estate firm that operates rental housing. Foundation Capital does not set its rents based on anything on this site. This guide is information only — not financial, legal, tax, or benefits advice, and using it does not create a professional relationship. Always confirm current details with the program administrator through the official link before you rely on them.