Windsor man fears losing spot on housing waitlist if he accepts new subsidy | CBC News

More than 7,000 people in Windsor-Essex are on a waiting list for affordable housing. As a means of managing that backlog, the agency that manages social housing will be removing people from the list if they apply for a new rent subsidy provided by the provincial government, a decision that has become a source of stress for those with hopes to make it through. 

Windsor resident Trevor Buchock has been on the wait list, known as the Central Housing Registry, since 2015. Since then, Buchok has had about half of his rent subsidized through the Windsor-Essex Community Housing Corporation (WECHC) and has been able to meet most of his needs every month with about $50 left over. 

But that program is set to run out in March of 2024, according to a letter he received earlier this year.

“It’s a huge source of anxiety for me,” said Buchok. “I was expecting one of two things. Either an [acceptance] letter from CHR or a letter saying that your subsidy is going to end any day now, and that’s the one I got.”

Buchok, 30, says getting housed is something that helped him get clean from opiates. 

Now, he has to make a difficult decision: If he accepts help from a different program, he loses his spot on the list and will be receiving less than he was before.

Last month, the provincial government invested $874,000 in the City of Windsor for rent subsidies through a program called the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB). This funding could replace the subsidy that Buchok was receiving. 

But according to an emailed statement from the WECHC, “When an individual receives COHB, they are technically considered housed and taken off the wait list.” 

Buchok says it’s something he says he’s not willing to do at the moment.

“I think I’m going to keep waiting,” said Buchok.

“If I find out I’m not anywhere near the top of the list, I guess I’ll try to get this temporary benefit. But only if I’m comfortable enough to work at that point, and only because I’d really need to.”

Buchok has shared that finding employment has been a challenge, during both his recovery and because he carries a criminal record. He is also a recipient of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). 

Not a ‘perfect solution,’ WECHC says

When asked about the reasoning behind having people removed from the list if they receive this benefit, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at the WECHC, John Parent, said that there is a lack of units in the community. 

“Provid[ing] those units to those on the registry has been a challenge for quite some time. We can’t keep up with the number of applicants that are coming in,” said Parent.

“And the province has now come up with a program as a solution to help backfill those benefits that will be expiring. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a solution the province has been able to provide at this point.”

Those who do decide to receive the COHB funding will be able to reapply to the CHR list in a 30-day period, however, they will be back at the bottom of the list. 

“This is something that we’re hoping will help bridge that gap. If they’re not within the top 100 it’s not likely they would find housing soon anyways,” said Parent.

Buchok feels lucky to have found housing when he did, and he recognizes the importance of that opportunity in his journey.

“I already have a hard time getting to appointments and keeping my paperwork in order, so I can’t even imagine someone else who might have even more debilitating mental health disorders dealing with this,” said Buchok.

“Housing should be a right, I think we should all just be able to have a roof over our heads.”