Review, Resolve and Recommend
The OCHE works to provide housing stability through three distinct processes:
- Review- The OCHE audits the files of TCHC tenants who have arrears of rent and face eviction. This review includes an analysis of whether all relevant policies and procedures have been followed by TCHC. These include the procedures outlined in the Arrears Collection Process and Loss of Subsidy Process, as well as the principles described in the Eviction Prevention Policy. In addition, the OCHE ensures that TCHC has abided by all applicable legislation including the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 and the Housing Services Act, 2011.
- Resolve- The OCHE Early Resolution Officers (ERO) extend their expertise in housing stabilization to the individual tenant who is at risk of eviction. The ERO engages the tenant in the pursuit of a solution to stabilize their housing. The Tenants are empowered to make their own decisions under the guidance of the EROs who can offer assistance and advocacy. For example, EROs assist tenants
- to obtain needed income verification documents to support their Rent Geared to Income Subsidy;
- to file their income tax to ensure benefits they are entitled to are paid to them;
- to advocate to their social service caseworkers to obtain funds to address the arrears through the Housing Stabilization Fund; and
- to link tenants to any community service that will assist them to improve their overall well-being (food security, social assistance, child care resources, family counseling, employment assistance etc.)
- Recommend- The OCHE takes the learnings obtained through the work with individual tenants, as well as the findings of the audit review and makes case-specific and systemic recommendations to TCHC which are intended to improve policy and procedures for all tenants. The findings and the resolution to the arrears of rent are outlined in a Commissioner's Recommendations Report which is sent to TCHC and to the Tenant.
In addition to the recommendations which are distributed to TCHC and to the tenant at the close of every file, the Commissioner also works closely with TCHC senior management in the development of policies and procedures that affect tenants in arrears of rent.