DESCRIPTION
The Raising the Roof (RTR) Tenant Stability Fund is a housing stabilization and eviction prevention initiative supporting tenants across RTR’s affordable and supportive housing portfolio in Winnipeg, Sudbury, Caledon, and Toronto. Launched in 2025 through a $25,000 pilot investment from the Allstate Foundation, the fund supported emergency arrears assistance, mold remediation and relocation costs, safety-related lock changes, laundry and basic needs assistance, and other eviction prevention interventions for tenants facing significant hardship. These flexible supports helped prevent evictions, maintain housing stability during crises, and reduce the risk of homelessness. RTR is now seeking multi-year funding to expand both the scale and scope of the program through direct stabilization funding and proactive eviction prevention practices focused on early identification of housing instability risks. Funding will support emergency tenant assistance and a dedicated housing stability staff position focused on outreach, early intervention, support coordination, and program evaluation.
DETAILS
Affordability Framework
RTR provides deeply affordable, supportive, and affordable housing. Affordability frameworks vary by project and include rent-geared-to-income, deeply affordable rents below market rates, and affordable rents below 80% of average market rent.
Target Completion Date
N/A
Populations Served
Homelessness
Total Project Cost
$525,000
Total Units
147
Affordable Units
147
Project Funding
Funding Required
RTR is seeking multi-year grant funding totaling $525,000 over three years to support a phased Tenant Stability & Prevention Program across its growing affordable and supportive housing portfolio.
Year 1: $125,000
Year 2: $175,000
Year 3: $225,000
RTR currently operates 147 homes and anticipates adding approximately 80 units in Year 1, 100 units in Year 2, and 100 additional units in Year 3 in the communities that RTR currently operates in and in additional communities across Canada. As the number of households served increases, demand for stabilization supports, eviction prevention services, and tenant engagement capacity is expected to grow proportionally.
Funding would support: emergency tenant stabilization assistance, eviction prevention interventions, wraparound supports, and a dedicated housing stability staff role focused on early intervention, tenant engagement, support coordination, and program evaluation.
RTR is also requesting approval to carry forward unused stabilization funding annually to maintain emergency response capacity for larger-scale tenant crises and unforeseen housing emergencies.
Funds Raised
$25,000 grant (Allstate Foundation; confirmed, 2025/2026)
Use of funds
Funds will support both direct tenant stabilization assistance and proactive housing stability interventions across RTR’s affordable and supportive housing portfolio.
Eligible uses include emergency arrears support, safety-related interventions, mold remediation and emergency relocation costs, hoarding and cleaning supports, transportation and food security assistance, move-in supports, and other flexible stabilization measures that help tenants maintain housing and avoid eviction.
Funding will also support a dedicated housing stability staff position responsible for tenant outreach and engagement, early identification of housing instability risks, coordination with housing providers and support agencies, tenant wellbeing surveys and follow-up, eviction prevention planning, housing stability monitoring, and program evaluation and impact measurement.
The program is designed to stabilize households earlier, reduce evictions, improve tenant wellbeing, strengthen coordination between housing and support providers, and reduce the costly downstream impacts of housing instability and homelessness.
Human Impact Story
One tenant supported through the pilot program was a single mother of five children in Sudbury who had maintained six years of sobriety and recovery following a history of substance use. After experiencing prolonged employment instability, she fell into significant rental arrears and faced imminent eviction. Flexible stabilization funding and coordinated support interventions helped prevent the immediate loss of housing while local providers worked with the tenant on longer-term income stabilization and support planning.
