Tenant Selection Criteria

CRC Self Help is mandated to house people who live in substandard living conditions. This includes homeless people, youth, women fleeing from abusive situations, people with chronic mental health issues, newcomers seeking asylum into Canada; and people with developmental and intellectual challenges.

Our selection criteria focuses on the expectations related to CRC Self-Help’s management model and the SHRA guidelines. Potential tenants must be eligible for RGI and either have no permanent housing or be living in housing that is beyond their means or living in dangerous or otherwise unsuitable accommodation.

Single individuals living in inadequate or unsafe housing within the Toronto region become a source of prospective tenants. However, people living in substandard conditions are not able to wait for housing for any great length of time. As a result CRC Self Help out-reaches to a number of community partners that provide services to homeless individuals, in order to acquire applicants suitable and interested in living within shared accommodations.

CRC Self Help outreaches to our community partners once a month in order to:

  • Provide a workshop to clients interested learning about CRC Self Help’s model of shared housing.
  • Conduct on site intake and housing interviews for applicants interested in being housed in a property managed by CRC Self Help.
  • Meet with applicants support workers and work with the applicant to develop their housing plan to assist their transition into CRC Self Help Housing. The housing plan generally focuses on: eviction prevention; building the tenant’s coping capacity and strengths; as well as building the tenant’s community capacity.
  • After an applicant successfully completes an intake and interview with the Housing Worker, the applicant subsequently attends a final meeting where the applicant:
    • Views the property and vacant unit they were interested in.
    • The applicant meets the house members of the property.
    • The applicant is given a tour of the building as well as an orientation to the subculture and operations of the house.

It is during this process where the applicant is not only interviewed by the house members, but the applicant assesses and determines if this home is suitable for their needs.

The community agencies, and services listed below is an indication where our agency provides staff outreach to, but not exclusively, we are always open to other community agencies:

  • Male Applicants interest in Dry Housing:
    • Good Sheppard Ministries
    • Salvation Army Harbor Light
    • ALPHA House
    • Downsview Dells

  • Male Applicants Interested in Responsibly Wet Housing:
    • Dixon Hall
    • Seaton House
    • Salvation Army Gateway, Riverdale, Maxwell Meighan

  • Women Interested in Dry and Wet Housing:
    • Salvation Army HOMESTEAD, FLORENCE BOOTH, EVANGELINE
    • LOFT SERVICES – Ingles House
    • Street Haven
    • Mary’s Home
    • YWCA/ WOODLAWN
    • Women’s Residence
    • Heyworth House
    • Elisa House
    • Amelie House
    • Adelaide Women’s Resource Centre