Housing Help in York

The Housing Help Centre works with both individuals and families in York Region to find and maintain affordable, safe housing. We work one-on-one with you to determine your housing needs, connect you with other government services, and to match you with landlords across the city. We’ll work with you to manage your case, and to provide needs-based services and follow-up.

We provide services in several locations in Newmarket, Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Georgina and Thornhill. Just call us at one of the numbers below to book an appointment with a housing counsellor at a location convenient to you.

We help people who need all types of assistance with their housing, whether that involves mediating between tenants and landlords, preventing evictions, assisting low income populations with accommodation search, filling out applications for subsidized housing, and providing referrals to local agencies for a variety of services.

Housing Help Services

We provide the following services to people in York Region:

Advocacy, Mediation, and Conflict Resolution Services

In situations where tenants and landlords disagree over housing issues, we’ll mediate between both parties and resolve conflicts. Our goal is to find solutions to housing issues and to empower both tenants and landlords by providing long-term support. In situations where landlord and tenant disputes cannot be resolved, we’ll provide referrals to local community and legal services. We provide workshops about Landlord and Tenants Rights and Responsibilities.

Market Rent Housing Search

 We can help clients contact landlords to find market rental housing. We can assist clients in searching for a place to live and connect them to landlords. We provide this service through one-on-one counselling session.

Filling Out Subsidized Housing Applications

Subsidized housing is also known as rent-geared-to-income (RGI) assistance. Our housing counsellors will help you fill out, submit and update your applications for subsidized housing and priority applications in various municipalities in Ontario. Please note that we do not provide Subsidized government housing.

Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP)

The OESP will reduce the cost of your household electricity by applying a monthly credit directly to your bill. The credit amount will depend on how many people live in your home and your combined household income. You can contact us for more information about this program.

Referrals to Other Service Providers

Finding safe, affordable long-term housing is not the only challenge that our clients face. Many also need assistance with accessing other services to improve their quality of life. We provide referrals to other service providers and forms of community support in York Region, such as food banks, furniture banks, and financial assistance programs like the Rent Bank.

Settlement Services for Newcomers to Canada

York Region is home to a large population of immigrants, many of whom need help settling into their new lives in Canada. We offer a variety of services to help newcomers to Canada integrate, such as running information sessions about housing resources, income taxes, financial literacy, citizenship, and income support programs. We can also provide referrals to other agencies for support.

Information Sessions Presentations On

We run regular information sessions about how to access social and community resources, and how to navigate different administrative systems to get the help you need. Our sessions provide information on a variety of topics, including:

• How subsidized and rent-geared-to-income housing in York Region works
• Rights and  Responsibilities of Tenant and Landlord
• How to access settlement services
• How to apply for Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
• How to access the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP)

Our Service Locations and Phone Numbers

The Housing Help Centre provides mobile services throughout York Region. We have partnered with several other agencies in York Region, and our counsellors visit their offices on a regular, rotating basis to provide housing-related support, services and information.

You can also call us at the following phone numbers for more information:

Markham: 416-317-3655

Thornhill & Georgina: 416-414-6779

Vaughan: 416-268-0654

Richmond Hill: 647-241-1237

Newmarket: 647-267-5319

Cantonese & Mandarin speaking can contact 437-855-1469