The City of Hamilton placed a record number of households into rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing in 2023. However, the number of households on the centralized waitlist for affordable housing increased as new registered exceeded those leaving the list.
The City placed 657 households into RGI units, and 359 households received a Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit in 2023. 1,164 households were added to the waitlist, increasing the total number of households waiting by 148 to 6,258.
The 6,258 figure does not represent the actual number of people waiting for affordable housing—an undisclosed number of applications have not been processed.
The report states the City continues efforts to input the backlog, stating priority applications are processed as submitted.
The annual update states those housed were primarily seniors or individuals with “special priority status, urgent or homeless status.” Few households on the general list were offered housing.
The City of Hamilton has declared a portion of the annual report confidential, citing “personal matters about an identifiable individual.”
Due to a lack of data tracking, the City cannot provide the average wait time for housing.
There should be no wsitlist never!! But there has been and 10 years on the list is nothing for an unfocused individual. Priority means nothing!!