INFORMATION SHEET 2015 Ontario Renovates Program for Homeowners

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1 INFORMATION SHEET 2015 Ontario Renovates Program for Homeowners Ontario Renovates Program Development Officer (PDO) Ext or Ext Disclaimer: Details contained herein are for informational purposes only, and are not to be relied upon as a comprehensive or precise representation of the program, its terms and conditions or eligibility rules. Please read carefully before you decide to apply for a loan under the Ontario Renovates Program. General Information The Federal and Provincial governments partnered to fund an Ontario Renovates Program for Windsor and Essex County in The City of Windsor is the delivery agent for the program in Windsor and Essex County. Completed applications are generally processed on a first come first serve basis subject to a regard for stated program priority repairs and for a fair distribution of the program funds throughout Windsor and Essex County. An exception to the first come first serve basis may be approved by the Program Development Officer (PDO), in its sole discretion. Important - Recipients of funding from previous rounds of Ontario Renovates or Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) may be eligible for 2015 Ontario Renovates provided the repair/modification is not a duplicate work item. Recipients from any Downpayment Assistance Programs are not eligible for additional funding under this or future rounds of the Ontario Renovates Program. Funding is provided in the form of a 10 year forgivable loan to homeowner occupant based on the cost of approved work items less any rebates. Accessibility repair costs up to the first $5,000 may be in the form of a grant not a loan and does not require repayment. The amount of funding per homeowner application may be up to a maximum of $20,000. In cases where the requested amount exceeds the program maximum of $20, 000 and/or the request does not meet the equity criteria, an Internal Review Team will review the request. For more information please see page 6 regarding Maximum Loan Amounts and Equity Criteria. Program recipients are required to sign a Loan Agreement to be registered as a mortgage on the title of the property. The loan is payment free, interest free and forgivable if the homeowner occupant complies with program rules at all times. Provided the homeowner occupant remains in compliance with program rules, the loan is forgiven at the rate of 10% per year over the program period. The earning of loan forgiveness begins on the date the Project Work passes final inspection. For further details see the Sample Loan Agreement. All or part of the loan is repayable under certain circumstances. The full amount of the loan may be repayable if a lien, other charge or claim is made against the home. The full amount of the loan is repayable if information provided by the applicant is false or misrepresented or the applicant omits relevant information and/or the funding is used for purposes other than the approved use. In other circumstances, including a sale of the home or if the homeowner occupant ceases to occupy the home as the sole and principal residence, the balance of the loan is repayable on the basis of the 10% per year forgivable calculation.

2 Eligible Applicants The following highlights applicant eligibility criteria, subject to discretionary rights of the PDO. 1. A fully completed 2015 Ontario Renovates Loan Application for Homeowners Form with all required information, documentation and verification attachments is required; 2. Photocopy of 2 pieces of government issued photo identification of the applicant(s) and all household members 18 years or older; 3. Total annual gross foreign and Canadian household income from every owner of the home and from every member of the household 18 years of age or older that reside in the home cannot exceed $69,000; 4. Total foreign and Canadian household assets from every owner of the home and from every member of the household 18 years of age or older, including adult dependents residing in the home cannot exceed $20,000 (Certain assets are excluded - see Application Form for more information); 5. The home is located in the City of Windsor or any municipality in the County of Essex; 6. The home is more than five years old; 7. Market value (MPAC or licensed qualified appraisal) of the home does not exceed $169,000; 8. The total balance of all existing mortgages/charges and other financing registered on the title of the property plus the estimated program loan amount do not exceed 100% of the market value of the property as determined by MPAC or a licensed qualified appraiser; 9. Title and Sheriff Certificate searches (completed by the City) must be clear of any liens, writs and executions; 10. Mortgage/charge and other financing payments must be up-to-date and not in arrears; 11. Homeowner insurance coverage must be in place for the full value of the home and the premium must be paid up-to-date and not in arrears; 12. Property tax account is paid up-to-date and not in arrears; 13. The home requiring the work and the land on which the home is situated must be owned and occupied by the applicant(s) as their sole and principal residence for the full term of the loan; 14. The intended work must be eligible for program funds; 15. Any work started prior to the registration of the Loan Agreement on title or submission of the signed Letter of Agreement-Grant Confirmation, whichever applies, is not eligible for program funding; 16. Work that may be covered by the homeowner s insurance policy or covered by a warranty period is not eligible for program funding; And if the application is approved for program funds: 17. Acceptance to the IAH-E Ontario Renovates Program may affect eligibility under Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program. It is recommended that recipients contact their caseworkers to further discuss this; 18. Approved applicants must sign and register a forgivable Loan Agreement on title within program timelines. In the case of an accessibility grant, approved applicants must sign and submit the Letter of Agreement-Grant Confirmation to the PDO; 19. Work must commence within 45 days of the date the Loan Agreement is registered on title and be completed within 120 days of commencement. In the case of an accessibility grant, work must commence within 45 days of the date of the Letter of Agreement-Grant Confirmation, and be completed within 120 days of commencement; 2015 IAH-E Ontario Renovates Homeowner Information Sheet Page 2 of 7

3 20. The need for and a description of the intended work must be confirmed by the local Building Department. Where confirmation by the local Building Department is not possible, a qualified professional must confirm the work. Qualified professional includes an inspector from the Fire Dept, Electrical Safety Authority, gas company, utility company, engineer, and in some cases a qualified home inspector and a medical professional. Confirmation of the need and work descriptions must be in a form and content and from a source acceptable to the Program Development Officer; 21. Quotes and estimates for the work must be from a qualified contractor and the relationship with the contractor must be at arms-length. Arms length means a transaction in which the buyers and sellers of a product or service act independently and have no relationship to each other. The concept of an arm's length transaction is intended to facilitate a prudent use of public funds and ensure that the parties in the transaction are acting in their own self interest and are not subject to any pressure or undue influence from the other party; 22. The homeowner occupant must retain and submit copies of all financial records (including invoices and proof of payment) for reporting and audit purposes; 23. All work must be in accordance with applicable rules and regulations, including but not limited to zoning and municipal requirements; 24. The homeowner occupant must adhere to all program requirements, rules and timelines throughout the process and during the 10 year forgivable loan period. About Inspections VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION You will note the need for and a description of the intended work must be confirmed by the local Building Department and where not possible, by a qualified professional. An inspector from the local Building department or the qualified professional as the case may be, may be obligated to record any defects in the home even if the defect was not part of the Ontario Renovates Loan Application. The results of the inspection may remain on the record of your home with the local Building Department, and if so, all mandatory work must be completed even if you withdraw your application or if your application (all or in part) is not approved for funding. Please note that the program funding must be first applied to work identified as mandatory in the inspection report. It is also possible that the Ontario Renovates funding may not be enough to pay for all the work classified as mandatory and/or non-mandatory listed in the Inspection Report even if your application is approved. In this case, you may be responsible to complete the non funded mandatory items at your own expense prior to starting any approved Ontario Renovates funded work. It is also important to note that if the cost of the work described in the inspection reports is higher than the amount you requested on your application but lower than the maximum amounts allowed under the program, you may amend your application and request a higher loan amount. About Maximum Loan Amounts and Equity Criteria In cases where the requested amount exceeds the program maximum of $20,000 and/or the request does not meet the equity criteria, an Internal Review Team will review the request. Any such requests will be reviewed on a case-by case basis but there is no guarantee such a request will be approved. For further information regarding Maximum Loan Amounts and Equity Criteria please see Guidelines to Consider Loan Requests in Excess of $20,000 and/or Equity Criteria Exemption on page 6 of this Information Sheet IAH-E Ontario Renovates Homeowner Information Sheet Page 3 of 7

4 General Eligible Project Work and Costs Applicants must obtain the necessary permits, approvals and final inspections for all work. Eligible repairs for Ontario Renovates may include the following activities: Eligible work is repair / replacement required to remedy leaky roofs where deterioration is beyond practical repairs, basement leaking, mould/asbestos removal to eliminate a present health hazard, fire safety items, electrical defects, repairs / replacement mandated by the local municipal Building Department; or the replacement of a furnace (or the home s primary heat source) condemned by the governing authority. For the purposes of this program, a condemned furnace or primary heat source means the governing authority or qualified licensed professional confirms the furnace or primary heat source is obsolete and/or at the end of its useful life and/or beyond practical repair and/or has been tagged prohibiting use. Modifications to increase accessibility related to housing and reasonably related to an occupant s disability including permanent installations of ramps, handrails, chair and bath lifts, height adjustments to countertops, and cues for doorbells/fire alarms; Other eligible costs include labour and applicable taxes, building permits, legal fees, certificates, appraisal fees, inspection fees, drawing(s) and specification(s) and any other costs that the City of Windsor deems reasonable and that are agreed to by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION 1. Applicants are not approved for any program funds solely on the basis of submitting an application or other information. All applicants are cautioned not to rely on Ontario Renovates program funds unless and until they receive a Letter of Final Approval confirming the application has been approved for program funds. 2. Any work started prior to registration of the Loan Agreement on title or in the case of an accessibility grant, submission of the signed Letter of Agreement Grant Confirmation to the PDO, is not eligible for program funding. 3. Work that may be covered by the homeowner s insurance policy or covered by a warranty period is not eligible for program funding; 4. If your application is approved, program funds cannot be released or advanced to you until after all the work is completed and all final inspections approving the work have been submitted. In some circumstances, progress draws may be approved in the PDO s sole discretion in writing prior to any work being started. 5. Program funds cannot be used for deposits to contractors. 6. Applicants are cautioned not to sign any agreement or contract with a contractor prior to registration of the Loan Agreement on title or in the case of an accessibility grant, receipt of the signed Letter of Agreement Grant Confirmation by the PDO. 7. Any and all contracts for the work are the responsibility of the applicant(s). The City of Windsor is not responsible for or bound in any way by any third party contracts IAH-E Ontario Renovates Homeowner Information Sheet Page 4 of 7

5 Ontario Renovates Program Process There are 7 steps in the Ontario Renovates process. For further information please see Ontario Renovates Program Process Information Sheet. How to Apply A Request for Application Form and further program information is available beginning March 7, 2015 on the City of Windsor website. Applications CANNOT be picked up at City Hall or at 400 City Hall Square East. The Request for Application Form is available online on the City of Windsor website at click on: For Residents Housing Ontario Renovates Program Homeowner If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Program Development Officer (PDO) at Ext 5349 or IAH-E Ontario Renovates Homeowner Information Sheet Page 5 of 7

6 Guidelines to Consider Loan Requests in Excess of $20,000 and/or Equity Criteria Exemption 2015 Ontario Renovates Program for Homeowners 1. Purpose of the Guidelines Applications where a loan request exceeds the program maximum and/or where the amount exceeds the equity criteria may be approved if: serious, adverse exceptional circumstances exist as described in these guidelines and/or; there is a need for accessibility modifications verified by qualified professionals. The following guidelines are intended to provide the process and parameters to assess and consider approval of such requests. 2. General Conditions Nothing in these guidelines shall operate, be relied upon or be interpreted to cause approval of a loan in excess of $20,000 and/or in excess of the equity criteria unless: a) Program funds are available to fund the request and; b) the total Program loan amount is less than $50,000 and; c) the homeowner/applicant continues to meet all program criteria, requirements and timelines that have not been waived. 3. Internal Review Team An Internal Review Team (Team) is established to review and make a recommendation regarding requests for a loan in excess of $20,000 and/or the request does not meet the equity criteria, under the Program. The Team consists of two Program Coordinators and two Program Development Officers from Housing Services. The lead of the Team is the Program Coordinator responsible for the delivery of the Ontario Renovates Program for Homeowners. A minimum of three Team members is required to review and make a recommendation for a loan in excess of $20,000 and/or the request does not meet the equity criteria, under the Program. In the event a minimum of three Team members is not available to review a request in a timely manner, the Executive Director of Housing and Children s Services or authorized designate, or a Housing Services Program Coordinator may authorize an alternate Housing Services staff member to participate in the review. Only one alternate can participate in a review at any given time. 4. Serious adverse or exceptional circumstance parameters For the purposes of this section, the governing authority is the organization that has the legal authority to issue certain violations and/or order repair, replacement or other work. Examples include, but are not limited to, the local Building Department, local Fire Department, Electrical Safety Authority. Serious, adverse or exceptional circumstance may be deemed verified if the governing authority has ordered certain work be completed and the governing authority and the Program Development Officer are of the opinion that: 2015 IAH-E Ontario Renovates Homeowner Information Sheet Page 6 of 7

7 a) the defect or condition in the home that requires the work mandated by the governing authority is at a stage of deterioration where the defect or condition in the home is significantly contrary to the health or safety of the occupants of the home or; without a timely repair or replacement, it can be reasonably expected that the progress of the deterioration may likely cause an imminent severe worsening of the condition of the home that is significantly contrary to the health or safety of the occupants of the home and/or; the defect or condition will likely render the home uninhabitable within twelve months of the date the governing authority orders the work and; b) the homeowner has demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the Internal Review Team that other than the Program, there is no reasonable, appropriate or timely funding option available to the homeowner to complete the mandated work in a time period required to avoid or reverse the likelihood of a severe worsening of the defect or condition. 5. Accessibility Modifications Accessibility modifications qualify for approval of a loan in excess of $20,000 and/or an equity criteria exemption if: a) the modifications are required to accommodate a medical condition of one or more occupants of the home that requires improved accessibility features and; b) the need for the accessibility modifications is verified in writing by a qualified professional, where the verification for the need for the accessibility modifications and the qualifications of the professional are acceptable and satisfactory to the Internal Review Team and; c) the accessibility modifications required are clearly described and specified by a qualified professional where the description and specifications of the accessibility modifications and the qualifications of the professional are acceptable and satisfactory to the Internal Review Team. 6. Review and Consideration If such a request is made, the Program Development Officer will obtain and organize all information relevant to the request and present the request and the information to the Team. The Team will review such requests on a case-by-case basis and make a recommendation to the Executive Director of Housing and Children Services or authorized designate to approve or decline the request. The recommendation may include waiving one or more local Program rules or requirements. The Team shall not recommend waiving a provincial Program rule or requirement. The Executive Director or authorized designate will make a final decision to approve or decline the request and may or may not accept all or part of the recommendation made by the Internal Review Team IAH-E Ontario Renovates Homeowner Information Sheet Page 7 of 7