The Housing Continuum

Each household has unique housing needs. The housing continuum provides a framework to understand the range of housing programs and services available to households experiencing housing insecurity and affordability challenges. Typically, a household’s income level and stage in life will determine the housing type that is best suited to meet their needs.

The continuum provides a breakdown of the assistance required and programs available by housing type:

Housing Types: Emergency Shelters / Outreach & Support Services

• Assistance Required: Emergency Housing Responses
• Income Levels: Very Low (Less than $19,000) to Low ($20,000 - $35,000) 
• Local Programs:
  • Homelessness prevention & diversion services
  • Emergency shelters
  • Street outreach programs
  • Homelessness prevention fund
  • Daytime services

Housing Types: Supportive and Transitional Housing / Social Housing

• Assistance Required: Ongoing Housing Subsidies & Housing Support Services
• Income Levels: Low ($20,000 - $35,000) to Median ($35,000 – $55,000)
• Local Programs:
  • Housing first and rapid rehousing of homeless households
  • Supportive housing (rent-geared-to-income)
  • Social housing (rent-geared-to-income)
  • Portable housing benefits

Housing Types: Affordable Rental Housing / Affordable Home Ownership

• Assistance Required: Capital Construction Funding & Down Payment Assistance
• Income Levels: Moderate ($55,000 – $85,000)
• Local Programs:
  • Affordable housing capital funding & land acquisition
  • Homeownership down payment assistance
  • Low-income homeowner repair &rehabilitation funding
  • Second residential unit grant

Housing Type: Market Housing (Renters & Owners)

• Assistance Required: Market Options Available
• Income Level: Above moderate (More than $85,000)
• Local Programs:
  • Household can support market housing costs

The Role of Government in Housing and Homelessness

Government of Canada

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation administers mortgage insurance programs and conducts data collection and research 
• Design and implementation of the National Housing Strategy 
• Establishes fiscal policy that impacts housing costs including setting interest rates 

Province of Ontario

• Regulation of social housing by way of the Housing Services Act 
• Provides provincial and shared provincial/federal housing and homelessness funding programs 
• Regulates tenant-landlord relations through Residential Tenancies Act 
• Regulates housing construction through Building Code Act 

City of Kingston

• Establishes official plan policy and zoning regulation to guide the development of new housing 
• Preparation and implementation of 10-Year Municipal Housing & Homelessness Plan 
• Partners with local non-profit and private housing providers to construct new below-market rate housing 
• Funds and administers social housing program 
• Design and administration of homelessness programs 

How the City supports affordable housing and homelessness solutions

Incentives are provided to support the creation of new non-market housing and homelessness programming. The following is an overview of some of the opportunities available.

• Planning Application Fee Waivers: Fees are waived for applications under the Planning Act that will provide new non-market housing.  
• Capital Funding Assistance: Direct financial contributions during the construction phase to support the inclusion of affordable housing units in non-profit and private rental housing development projects.  
• Ongoing Delivery of Social Housing Program: Eligible households can apply for rent-geared-to-income housing available at various locations throughout the City of Kingston and County of Frontenac.  
• Portable Housing Benefits: Enables households to receive housing assistance that is portable to any rental housing address in the City of Kingston and County of Frontenac.  
• Parking Space Reductions for New Affordable Housing Development: Constructing parking spaces adds to a project’s cost and the amount of rent charged. New affordable housing units do not require parking spaces under the City’s zoning by-law.  
• Operating Funding for Emergency Shelter and Homelessness Prevention Programs: Annual operating funding is provided to various non-profit organizations to operate emergency shelters, transitional and supportive housing, and social service programs designed to prevent and reduce homelessness. 
• Low to Moderate Income Homeowner Assistance: Down payment assistance for renter households and urgent repair assistance for existing homeowners helps households attain and maintain home ownership.  
• Expanding Housing Solutions for Community’s Most Vulnerable: The City and community partners are expanding the supply of emergency, supportive, and transitional housing through projects such as the Integrated Care Hub, sleeping cabin pilot project, Concession Street Warming Centre, supportive Indigenous housing at Lower Union Street and housing for vulnerable women and women with children at Ridley Drive.