Rent Supplement Program

The Rent Supplement program provides affordable rents in privately owned buildings for tenants who cannot afford the regular rent charged by the landlord. The buildings are not owned or managed by the County of Dufferin.

The County of Dufferin signs agreements with private landlords to have a certain number of units in their building for tenants who have low incomes.

Tenants for these units are selected from the Housing Access Centre waiting list. Applicants must apply to the Housing Access Centre to be considered for rent supplement units.

The tenants pay the landlord a rent amount that is determined by staff at the County of Dufferin Housing Services Unit.  The rent is based on 30% of their gross monthly household income.  The County of Dufferin then pays the landlord the difference between the usual rent charged for the unit and what the tenant can afford to pay.

If a tenant in a rent supplement unit moves out, they cannot take their subsidy with them.  It is up to the landlord and the County of Dufferin Housing Services Unit to decide whether a new tenant from the Housing Access Centre waiting list will fill the unit, or if the unit will be turned back to the landlord to rent to someone who can pay the full rent charge.