City Programs Offer Assistance to Own or Improve Your Home

Published on: 2021/03/03 - in News

Two programs aimed at helping make home ownership more affordable are available to residents of Kingston and Frontenac County, including down payment assistance from the Home Ownership program, and support from the Kingston-Frontenac Renovates program to improve the accessibility of your home or complete urgent repairs.

“These programs are intended to help make it affordable for qualified residents to achieve home ownership or to stay longer in homes they own and love, but may need a little work,” said Ruth Noordegraaf, Director, Housing and Social Services. Increasing housing affordability is one of City Council’s strategic priorities.

Kingston and County of Frontenac renters with low-to-moderate incomes can take advantage of the Home Ownership Program which offers down payment assistance up to a maximum of 10 per cent off the purchase price. In 2020, eight households were able to buy homes through this program, which typically assists ten to fifteen households annually, but the global pandemic impacted program uptake this past year.

Low-to-moderate income households can also apply for the Kingston Frontenac Renovates program for up to $10,000 toward emergency repairs and up to $5,000 for renovations that make their home accessible. Eligible repairs may include, but are not limited to, furnace or window replacement, roof repair and accessibility ramp or lift installations.

This program assisted 19 households in Kingston and Frontenac County in 2020.

Homeowners and soon-to-be homeowners can find eligibility criteria and application forms for both the programs at the City’s Housing page.

Kingston-Frontenac Renovates applications are being accepted now and applications for the Home Ownership program will be accepted starting March 15. Funding is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications may be submitted in person to main reception on the second floor at 362 Montreal St., or by mail to City of Kingston, Housing and Social Services at 362 Montreal St., Kingston, Ont., K7K 3H5

Questions can be addressed online by contacting housing@cityofkingston.ca or phoning 613-546-2695, ext. 4949.


Photo: Jon Gorey (cc)