there's a city run program called the wehb:
i'm waiting for clear answers from the office, but i believe average rent in windsor is currently $1683, according to google, which would entitle me to a subsidy of:
1370*.3 - 1683*.9 = $1103.70.
the maximum shelter amount from odsp is $582. i should be able to then add that to the wehb amount to get to:
1103.70 + 582 = $1685.70.
the way it works is that they will claw back whatever is leftover from that, after calculating actual rent & utility costs. so, if i can get an apartment for $1500 + hydro + internet, and it comes to around $1600, then i'll actually get the $1600 rather than the $1685.
this would then leave me with $1370-582 = $788. my rent is currently a little less than $800, and i pay $40/month for internet. i don't pay hydro. so, i have around $530/month. $250/month is a lot of money when you're poor, and it means i could actually get a real apartment in a real apartment building, if the program has reasonable turnover times.
with the extra $70 from the province, that would give me around $850/month to spend, which is a lot for me, but the exciting thing is that it's maybe a way out of this hell-hole i'm trapped in.
if i wait for actual subsidized housing, which i may not be able to do, what they do is set your rent at 30% of your income, which for me comes to $411. it would be officially non-smoking, but they would likely expect me to live in studio apartment or a small one-bedroom and may ask me to move around based on the needs of others. i may have to tolerate neighbours that are criminals or....people that don't understand western cultural values and aren't interested in them. i could further cram internet and hydro into the $582 amount, but they would reduce the allotment by whatever is left, giving me a maximum of $788 after the process, until the inflation boost next august.
this is a better option for me, especially if i can get into the system and find a nice two bedroom or large one bedroom for $1400ish.
there is apparently a higher vacancy rate in the high rises along the waterfront (which is what i want) at that price range that is just out of what i can afford without this program.
let's hope this is the way out of here and i can do it fast.