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Applicants

In this section, you will find information related to eligibility criteria, housing options, how to apply, and priority access resources.

Submit an Application

If you are interested in applying for public housing please use the links above to guide you through the application process.

You can submit an application online, in person at one of our local offices or via mail. 

Our District Offices process tenant applications and placements, collect rent, resolve tenant issues, and maintain and repair properties.

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Apply Online

Applying through our applicant portal is a quick and easy way to submit your application for public housing at your convenience. Click the applicant portal button below to apply to housing for the first time, register, or make updates to your application.

Applicant Portal

Apply In-Person at a Local Office

Prefer to apply in person? Download an application form for your area or contact one of our District Offices. To apply, you will need to complete the application form for your area and submit a list of buildings where you would accept a housing offer. If you are also applying to priority access, you will need to submit a completed priority access referral form.

Important Information for Applicants

Choosing Your Unit

Applicants can choose where they want to live by selecting preferred buildings or areas. There is currently no limit on the number of selections an applicant can make. Given current demand for public housing and limited housing units in specific areas, selecting multiple locations and/or buildings may increase opportunities to be housed and reduce wait times.

Housing Options
Keep Your Application Up to Date

You should update your application any time there is a change that affects your household’s housing needs, such as an increase in household size, or NSPHA’s ability to contact you, such as moving to a new address.

Applicant Portal
Maintain your Eligibility

Applicants must update their household composition and income yearly to maintain their eligibility.

You can make changes to your application at any time through the Applicant Portal or by contacting one of our local offices.

Applicant Portal

Register for our Applicant Portal

We encourage all applicants, no matter how they apply, to register for the online applicant portal and opt-in to email communication. Through our online portal, you can manage your application for public housing, update your information, and receive important notifications.

The applicant portal allows NSPHA to quickly communicate updates. It also gives you real time access to your application so you can make any changes to ensure we can match you with suitable housing options.

You should update your application any time there is a change that affects your household's housing needs, such as an increase in household size, new contact information, or moving to a new address.

Frequently Asked Questions

All applicants are required to provide income verification (i.e. – paystubs, Income Assistance stub, pension income including CPP, OAS and GIS) and a landlord reference or professional character reference.  You may also be asked to provide additional documentation to determine the size of the unit you are eligible for.  

The application process has two phases.  

  1. Phase 1: In the first phase of the application process, you will fill out the application form and provide NSPHA with information such as your income and household composition. This allows us to determine if you are eligible for public housing. If you are eligible you will be placed on the waitlist.  When you are closer to the top of the waitlist, one of our staff members will contact you to complete phase 2 of the application process.
  2. Phase 2: During Phase 2, NSPHA staff will ask that you provide supporting documentation to verify the information you included in your application. 

After verification is complete, you will be offered an available unit that meets your household needs in one of the buildings you selected during the application process.

Your rent is calculated using a rent-geared-to-income (RGI) model.

This means the rental level for your unit will be determined based on your household composition, and your household's gross income. Rent will never exceed 30% of your total income, to ensure it remains affordable for you and your household. If you receive Income Assistance, NSPHA will charge you rent based on whether you are living in a one-person household or more and if those individuals are adults or dependents.  

Once you are assigned a unit you will need to provide NSPHA information on:

  • your income
  • your household composition, including all people who will live in the unit, and
  • proof of this information where necessary

NSPHA will use this information to calculate your rent for the year. You will need to provide new copies of this information each year, and we will inform you by letter with four months’ notice, so you have time to respond.

NSPHA allocates units in chronological order based on the date of application. The average time applicants spend on the waitlist is 2 years. 

Clients who have been approved for priority access are placed on the chronological waitlist ahead of general applicants. The average time spent on the waitlist for priority access applicants province-wide is 1.4 years.

Waitlist numbers are fluid and can change.