Special Priority status is granted to an applicant who is the victim of domestic violence/abuse, and provides the applicant with high priority placement on the Central Waiting List.

Any member of an applicant household who is 16 years or older may make a request for special priority status.  A request for special priority status may be made only where a member of the household has been subject to abuse from someone that they are or have been living with, or from someone who has sponsored them as an immigrant.

Making a Request for Special Priority

• The applicant must be 16 years or older

• A letter requesting Special Priority Status must be prepared by the applicant in writing and must state that a member of a household has been subject to abuse and intends to live permanently apart from the abuser.

• Only one of these individuals listed below is required and acceptable to verify Special Priority Status: 

  • A doctor

  • A lawyer

  • A law enforcement officer

  • A member of the clergy

  • A teacher

  • A guidance counsellor

  • An individual in  a managerial or administrative position with a housing provider

  • A community health care worker

  • A social worker

  • A social service worker

  • A victim services worker

  • A settlement services worker

  • A shelter worker

The verification must contain a statement of one of the following in writing or verbally:

• A record of intervention by the police indicating that the abusing individual abused the member.

• A record of physical injury caused to the member by the abusing individual.

• A record of the application of force by the abusing individual against the member to force the member to engage in sexual activity against his or her will.

• A record of words, actions or gestures by the abusing individual that threaten the member or his or her property including, but not limited to, the following:  

  • Threatening to physically harm the member of another member of the household;

  • Threatening to destroy or injure the member’s property;

  • Intentionally killing or injuring pets;

  • Threatening to remove the member’s children from the household;

  • Threatening to prevent the member from having access to his or her children;

  • Forcing the member to perform degrading acts;

  • Terrorizing the member;

  • Threatening to take action to withdraw from sponsoring the member as an immigrant;

  • Threatening to take action that might lead to the member being deported;

  • Other works, actions or gestures, which lead the member to fear for his or her safety.

• A record of undue or unwarranted control by the abusing individual over the member’s daily person and financial activities

Documents provided to the Social Housing Program to determine special priority status will be shredded unless you request otherwise.  

If the special priority household believes that the abused individual will be at risk from the abuser if he or she attempts to obtain information or a document, the Social Housing Program must not require the member to provide the information or document.  

Within 7 business days after receiving the request, the Social Housing Program shall give the member making the request a written notice stating that the request is:

•  complete

or

• incomplete, which includes explanation of what is missing.  Also included in the notice is the date as to when missing documents must be received (10 business days).  If missing documentation is received within the specified timeframe by the Social Housing Program, written notice is sent to the member making the request that the request is now complete.  If missing documentation is not received by the Social Housing Program within the allotted timeframe, the file is cancelled.

Special Priority Placement on the Central Waiting List

Once the Social Housing Program determines that the household is eligible to be included in the special priority category and eligible for Rent-Geared-to-Income assistance (within 14 calendar days after request/application is determined to be complete) written notice is provided to the individual making the request and the household is placed on the central waiting list according to the household’s preferences.

A special priority household has the highest ranking above all other applicants on the waiting list.  The ranking date for households within the special priority category is the date of the completed application.  A special priority household that is determined to be at greater risk of being abused has priority over all other special priority households with the same completed application date.

Confidentiality of the Applicant’s Personal Information

In order to protect the privacy and safety of the household member making the request for special priority status, the Social Housing Program must comply with the member’s wishes as to the manner in which to be contacted.  The Social Housing Program must ensure that any notices related to the special priority status/category and any notices related to the application for RGI must be given only to the individual who made the request and not to all members of the household.

As per the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, all personal information is handled and stored appropriately ensuring confidentiality.  Once Special Priority status has been determined, the documents related to the abuse, are to be shredded, unless otherwise requested by the applicant, as they have served their purpose and are no longer required.  Once special priority status has been determined, the decision is not subject to ongoing review and the status must not be changed while the household remains on the Central Waiting List.

Selection and Placement of Special Priority Households

Each Housing Provider contacts the Social Housing Program when they have a vacant unit to fill.  At that time the first name on their subsidiary wait list is given to them.  The Housing Provider then contacts the applicant to offer unit.  The Housing Provider provides the Social Housing Program with Notice of Tenant Move-In.  The Social Housing Program then cross-references and determines that the vacant unit was filled with the Special Priority name that was previously given to the Housing Provider.  In the event the special priority applicant declines the unit, the Housing Provider notifies the Social Housing Program and the refusal is recorded. 

Requests Received Beyond the Legislated Time Frames

If the Social Housing Program receives a request for special priority status from an individual who no longer lives with the abuser and the date of the request is not within 3 months of when they ceased living together, the request for special priority status is denied.  The individual requesting the special priority status is notified of the decision in writing and advised of the right to an internal review.  The internal review process is then followed.