Housing Access Peterborough

Community Housing

In Peterborough, Community housing is housing owned and/or operated by local housing providers (PHC), non-housing corporations, and housing co-operatives. The Community housing waitlist is administered through Housing Access Peterborough (HAP). HAP manages the Centralized Wait List for both Affordable Housing for PHC owned buildings and Rent Geared to Income in the City and County of Peterborough. The HAP office is at the Peterborough Social Services office, 178 Charlotte St., Peterborough, in the Charlotte Mews.

Rent Geared to Income (RGI) means that rent costs are no more than 30% of your income. Households seeking special priority placement for RGI housing must submit supporting documentation.

Affordable Housing means that rents are set at or below Average Market Rent (AMR) and are not geared to the household's income. The rents for Affordable Housing units are generally set between 60% to 100% of the average market rent set by the Province. Rental rates for these units typically increase each year, as per provincial rent control guidelines. There is no local waitlist placement priority for Affordable Housing buildings.

Your wait time depends on many factors, including how many places you apply to and where you qualify. Right now, the only people who get faster access to housing in the Peterborough area are people fleeing domestic violence and/or human trafficking who are seeking RGI housing. The Centralized Wait List is not emergency housing.

Community Housing Map

The online, interactive Community Housing Map shows RGI and Affordable properties in the City and County of Peterborough. When you find places you are interested in, you can choose them on your application on the Housing Selections pages.

  • If you see a building on the interactive map but it is not on the applications, please reach out to the property managers listed on the map.

It is important to only select places where you would actually move into, since you will only get one offer of housing when your name comes up on the list. If you do not accept an offer of housing, you will be taken off the wait list for housing.

Community Housing Map

Eligibility

Apply for community housing if you meet the following criteria:

  1. You can live independently with or without support services.
  2. You are over 16 years old.
  3. You are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a refugee claimant, or you are applying to become a permanent resident. You are not under a removal order to leave Canada.
  4. You do not owe money to any social housing provider in Ontario (note: you can apply if you have a repayment agreement in place).
  5. You have not been found guilty in the last two years of an offence related to RGI assistance.
  6. Your income is within the allowable limits (see RGI and Affordable housing tables below).
  7. Your asset amount is below the asset limit set for Community housing - $75,000.00
    • This includes selling a residential property within 6 months of being housed. 

  8. Proof of custody for every child on your application that does not live full-time in the household. 

Note: Under our local occupancy standards for Community Housing, the maximum number of bedrooms allowed is one bedroom per single or couple, plus additional bedroom for each family member. 

2025 income limits for housing in the City of Peterborough

Bachelor 1-bedroom 2-bedroom 3-bedroom 4-bedroom (or larger)
$38,500 $50,500 $61,000 $68,000 $83,500

2025 income limits for housing in Peterborough County

Bachelor 1-bedroom 2-bedroom 3-bedroom 4-bedroom (or larger)
$32,000 $42,000 $49,500 $53,500 $62,500

Affordable housing maximum income limits by property

Gerow Building, 17 Smith Dr., Havelock

  • Senior housing
  • Accessible units not available
  • 1 bedroom maximum income limit: $38,944

Trailview Terrance, #40,#46,#48,#50, Rabbit St., Lakefield

  • Senior housing
  • Accessible units available
  • 1 bedroom maximum income limit: $38,944
  • 2 bedroom maximum income limit: $48,192

Saunders Court, 130 Anson St., Peterborough

  • Adult housing
  • Accessible units not available
  • 1 bedroom maximum income limit: $38,944
  • 2 bedroom maximum income limit: $48,192

River Ridge, 900 Dutton Rd., Peterborough 

  • Mixed housing
  • Accessible units available
  • 1 bedroom maximum income limit: $48,680
  • 2 bedroom maximum income limit: $60,240
  • 3 bedroom maximum income limit: $68,800
  • 4 bedroom maximum income limit: $68,800

Malcolm Court, 553 Bonaccord St., Peterborough

  • Mixed housing
  • Accessible units not available
  • Bachelor maximum income limit: $30,592
  • 1 bedroom maximum income limit: $38,944
  • 2 bedroom maximum income limit: $48,192
  • 3 bedroom maximum income limit: $55,040

Anson House, 136 Anson St., Peterborough

  • Mixed housing
  • Accessible units available
  • Bachelor maximum income limit: $30,592
  • 1 bedroom maximum income limit: $38,944

Woollen Mill, 526 McDonnel St., Peterborough

  • Mixed housing
  • Accessible units available
  • Bachelor maximum income limit: $38,240
  • 1 bedroom maximum income limit: $48,680
  • 2 bedroom maximum income limit: $60,240
  • 3 bedroom maximum income limit: $68,800

Bradburn House, 293 London St., Peterborough

  • Mixed housing
  • Accessible units not available
  • Bachelor maximum income limit: $30,592
  • 1 bedroom maximum income limit: $38,944

193 Parkhill Rd. W., Peterborough

  • Mixed housing
  • Accessible units not available
  • 1 bedroom maximum income limit: $38,944

220 Edinburgh St., Peterborough

  • Mixed housing
  • Accessible units not available
  • 2 bedroom maximum income limit: $48,192
  • 3 bedroom maximum income limit: $55,040

Hunt Terraces, 555 Bonaccord St., Peterborough

  • Mixed housing (ages 18 and older)
  • Accessible units available
  • 2 bedroom maximum income limit: $60,240

How to apply

You can apply for Community housing in the City and County of Peterborough through an online portal, or by completing the Community Housing Application Form.

1. The online portal is recommended if you are using a computer.

2. The Community Housing Application is a fillable PDF. To submit:

Step 1: Download and save.
Step 2: Email it to hapinfo@peterborough.ca or upload online here.

3. Hard copy Applications are available at the Peterborough Social Services office (178 Charlotte St., Peterborough) or the Housing Resource Centre (540 George St. N., Peterborough). If you must come in person, the office is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also drop off your application in the secure mailbox located outside the main doors.

Mailing address

Housing Access Peterborough, Peterborough Social Services
178 Charlotte St., P.O. Box 4138
Peterborough, ON

Supporting documents

You may need to complete Additional forms with your RGI Housing Application. Instructions on how to include your supporting documents are explained for both the online portal and the application form. 

If you need help with the online portal or your application form, please contact us at hapinfo@peterborough.ca or call 705-748-8830.

You may need to complete and submit additional forms with your Community Housing Application - both RGI and Affordable. Staff can help you determine which additional forms are needed, based on your individual situation. The following forms are available for you to print and complete, if applicable:

For RGI only:

 Note: There is no priority for Affordable Housing Buildings

Special Priority Policy (SPP) applies to individuals applying for priority access for RGI housing in the City and County of Peterborough. Only people fleeing family/domestic abuse and human trafficking will be offered priority placement on the waitlist.

Wait list and updating your application

When your application is complete you will receive a letter confirming that you are on the waitlists for all of the places you chose (as long as you are eligible). We are unable to tell you how long your wait time will be. There are many factors that can cause you to move up or down the list and it may change day-to-day.

It is important for you to keep your contact information updated so that you are ready to receive a call from a Housing Provider when it comes. You will be the first to know when there is a vacancy where you are the top candidate.

Wait times vary for many reasons including unit size, priority status, unit location and unit turnover. These also vary from year to year. In general, you should expect to wait at least the following lengths of time for RGI housing.

  • Special Priority: (people fleeing domestic violence or human trafficking): 1 to 2 years
  • Seniors: 7 to 8 years
  • County housing: 5 years
  • All other units (not including Supportive Housing): over 10 years

The Affordable Housing waitlist is based on vacancy and turnover. These are estimates only and in no way pinpoint how long you will be on the list(s). Wait times may be shorter or longer than indicated.

If you need to make a housing plan for the immediate future, we recommend that you contact the Housing Resource Centre at 705-743-2272.

Tell us right away if:

  • you move
  • your telephone number changes
  • your email address changes
  • the number of people on your application changes
  • you want to change building selections on your application

Keeping your contact information up to date ensures housing providers can contact you when it is time to offer you housing. If a housing provider cannot reach you to make an offer of housing, it could be counted as a refusal, and you could lose your place on the Centralized Waiting List.

You can change your housing selections at any time. Please make sure that you have only chosen housing locations where you would be willing to move to at the time of offer. The Community Housing Map is a great way to help you make your decision on where to apply.

Portal

To update your application on the portal, please contact Housing Access Peterborough staff by phone (705-748-8830) or by email (hapinfo@peterborough.ca) to get important information about your registered portal account.

Print and complete the update form

You can choose to print and complete the Community Housing Update Form and include any relevant completed forms from the list below.

Additional forms to print and complete (as needed)

Submit your updates to RGI Housing Application and the supporting documents online

You can also submit your completed forms and documents directly to the staff person you are working with or by email (hapinfo@peterborough.ca).

Every twelve (12) months you will be sent an Annual Update. HAP must receive your updated form in the timeline provided with the form.

You must complete the Annual Update form and return it to HAP.

If the form is not returned, or we cannot contact you, your application may be cancelled and you will have to re-apply.

If you want HAP staff to communicate with someone other than yourself about the details of your application you can give us permission on the application form.

Priority access and unique needs

There is only one group of applicants with priority access to RGI housing in the City and County of Peterborough. Only people fleeing family/domestic abuse and human trafficking will be offered housing before other applicants. This group is called Special Priority Policy (SPP). 

The Province of Ontario determines who is eligible for SPP status. People applying for SPP priority status must complete the SPP application form or the SPP application form (online). Applicants fleeing abuse must provide Verification of Recent Cohabitation and  the Professional Declaration form. Staff are available to help applicants apply for RGI housing.

You can request a review of a decision about SPP status through the Request for Review form.

Accessibility and special needs accommodations are available for tenants. Applicants may request accessible buildings (e.g., with ramps, automatic doors and doorways) if you are unable to climb stairs or if you use a mobility device.

The community housing map and the application form include an accessibility icon beside some of the sites. The icon means there are fully accessible units at the location. Many other sites have units with accessible features.

Modified units are reserved for applicants who are physically disabled and in a wheelchair on a full-time basis. Modifications may vary by unit and can include features such as grab bars, lowered counter tops, and wider door frames.

For applicants who require overnight care from a caregiver or in some cases require space for medical equipment, you can apply for an additional bedroom.

If you have accessibility needs, please read the property descriptions in the community housing map or contact HAP staff at the Peterborough Social Services office.

Mandate housing providers have special requirements for people who live in their buildings, called “mandates.” For example, some mandates require that tenants be seniors, Indigenous or women fleeing domestic violence.

The mandates of housing providers are included in banners on the housing application and in the descriptions and filters in the community housing map. You will not be added to the list of a housing provider if you are not eligible because of their mandate.

Thrive Housing and Support

Thrive Housing & Support is a Community Housing Provider that also provides supports from a Personal Support Worker (PSW) for people with physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries, are living with HIV, or are considered high risk seniors, who require personal care. For more information on applying for their support services please visit their website at www.thrivehs.ca.

Note: If applying for housing in addition to PSW supports, please continue with your RGI Housing Application through Housing Access Peterborough.

Need help? Contact us

Do you have questions? We are here to help you understand the affordable housing options in the City and County of Peterborough. We can also help you fill out applications.

Contact HAP staff at Peterborough Social Services

Office/Mail: 178 Charlotte Street (in the Charlotte Mews) PO Box 4138 Peterborough ON  K9J 8S1

E-mail: hapinfo@peterborough.ca

Phone: 705-748-8830 or toll-free 1-855-738-3755

Contact Us

City Hall
500 George St. N.
Peterborough, ON
K9H 3R9

Phone: 705-742-7777
Toll Free: 1-855-738-3755
Email Us

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