Residential Rehabilitation assistance program (RRAP)

Transcription

1 Residential Rehabilitation assistance program (RRAP) Frequently Asked Questions Rental / Rooming House / Conversion / Secondary / Garden Suites

2 Request for applications frequently asked questions 1. Can the completed application be sent to CMHC by fax or ? CMHC will require original signatures of all owners of the property on the applications. It s because of this we will not be able to accept faxed or ed documents. 2. Can a photocopied application be sent to CMHC? It is permitted to photocopy the application; however, CMHC still requires all original signatures of all the owners on the documents received. 3. Do all the Owners of the property need to sign the application? All persons registered as owners on title must sign all forms submitted. If the property is registered in the name of a numbered company, CMHC will require that Principals of the Company sign the forms submitted. 4. How does CMHC choose the successful applications? All applications will be evaluated. Priority will be given to applications that best meet the criteria of the programs such as renting to low income families, rents being charged are below the Median Market Rent for the area. Additionally, those applicants who demonstrate partnerships with Community/Government Services & Support as well as those that provide additional funds to decrease CMHC s contribution and reduce the loan term of the Operating Agreement. 5. What are the chances of an application being selected? Budget funds are limited. The best applications will be selected to move to the next phase. It is to be noted that only the applications that best meet all the criteria will be selected to move forward. 6. What is an MMR or a CNIT? Median Market Rent (MMR) is the maximum rent, including utilities, that can be charged by a landlord in order to qualify a unit under the program. Core Need Income Threshold (CNIT) is the maximum income limit established for the area, depending on the family composition of the tenants, to qualify a unit under the program. 7. What is meant by inclusive or fully serviced rents? If the rents being charged include heat, hydro and water, this is considered inclusive or fully serviced rents. 1

3 8. What is meant by Less Vacancy Allowance on the Revenue & Expenses form? The vacancy allowance is normally expressed as a percentage of your annual rents or a dollar value. The amount will vary depending on the rental property and the number of vacancies the landlord experiences annually. 9. What is meant by Net Operating Income (NIO) or Principal & Interest (P & I) on the Revenue & Expenses form? NIO is the annual gross income less the annual total expenses. P & I include yearly payments made on all encumbrances registered on property title. These could include mortgage/charge loans, lines of credit, etc To determine cash flow, the P & I are deducted from NOI. 10. What is considered a qualifying repair? A qualifying repair is a mandatory repair required to correct a serious deficiency in one of the five categories (structural, electrical, plumbing, heating and fire safety). The cost of repair(s) would represent a substantial burden for the property owner and would require an increase in rent without assistance from RRAP. 11. What is the difference between a bed-unit and a self-contained unit? A bed-unit means a bed within a rooming house rented to an occupant unrelated to the owner and located in an area which meets the minimum space standards for bed-units as outlined in the CMHC RRAP standards. Kitchen and bathroom facilities may be shared. A self-contained unit means a unit providing therein living, sleeping, eating, food preparation and sanitary facilities for a household. 12. Are applicants required to submit estimates along with the initial application? It is not a requirement that estimates for work are submitted with the initial application; however, an estimate providing potential cost of the work being requested by the Owner would assist in the review process. 13. What if a tenant refused to provide details of their total household income? Unfortunately, if the tenant does not want to provide the income information, then the costs associated with repairs to that unit and the pro-rated costs of common areas will be the responsibility of the landlord. 14. The tenants in my building pay their own hydro. How do I determine if the rents being charged are below the MMR for the area? In order to determine if a unit is eligible, the rent being charged + monthly costs of services paid by Tenants is compared to our MMR. 2

4 15. Is the maximum loan amount per unit or per building? The maximum loan amount relates to the number of eligible units or bed-units within a building. The maximum loan available is also based on the rehabilitation zone where the property is located. 16. How do I determine which zone my property is located in? In Ontario, there are a maximum of two zones. Zone 1 is for the southern part of the Province and Zone 2 starts north of Cochrane in Northern Ontario. If you are unsure, contact a CMHC Representative for clarification. 17. Does a building require a maximum number of eligible units to qualify? There is no maximum number of units required to qualify for assistance. If all tenants incomes are below the CNIT for the area and the rents paid are below the MMR for the area then all units would be eligible for the program. 18. What does a forgivable loan mean? A forgivable loan does not have to be repaid provided the landlord abides by the terms and conditions of the RRAP loan approval and the RRAP Operating Agreement. If the landlord does not adhere to these conditions for the loan term, then balance of unearned forgiveness will have to be repaid to CMHC with interest. 19. What does forgiveness earned mean and how long does it take for me to earn my full forgiveness? The earning period for the forgivable loan and duration of the Operating Agreement is based on the level of forgiveness provided per unit or per bed-unit. Where 100% of the maximum forgivable assistance is provided, the term of the loan and Agreement is 15 years. As the amount of the forgivable loan decreases, the term of the agreement decreases to a minimum of 8 years. Landlords may further reduce the loan term to a minimum of 4 years by contributing additional funds to reduce the forgivable loan. 20. When a tenant moves out of an apartment after the work is completed, what do I do? If a unit becomes vacant during the earning period, you are required to rent the unit to other eligible low-income tenants at the same rent that was charged the previous tenants. You will be responsible to ensure that all Tenant Declarations are completed, signed and retained on your file in the event that CMHC monitors your property at a future date. 21. Does CMHC find the tenants for the landlord? No, CMHC does not provide tenant lists for landlords. You may want to contact your local Municipal Office, ODSP or Social Services Departments for a list of low-income individuals seeking rental accommodation. 3

5 22. What happens if I decide to sell the property before the forgiveness is earned? If you decide to sell your property before the forgiveness is fully earned, the unearned portion of the forgivable loan will become due and payable at the time of the sale. 23. Can I re-apply for the program after I have already received assistance once before? Owners of properties which have previously received RRAP may be eligible for a 2 nd loan, 15 years after the date the original loan was approved, provided that the outstanding balance of any previous assistance has been fully earned or repaid in full. 24. Will CMHC require a lien or a mortgage on the property? If the RRAP loan exceeds $25,000, a mortgage will be registered against the property. Otherwise, if the loan is less than $25,000, CMHC will only require a Promissory Note as loan security. 25. Does the property need to comply with the Municipal Zoning requirements? It is the property owner s responsibility to ensure that all local requirements are met. 26. Who is responsible for the permits? Again, the property owner will be responsible to ensure that the appropriate permits are obtained, from the Authority having jurisdiction, before any work gets underway. 27. What does Other Encumbrances mean? Other encumbrances may include other mortgages, loans, collateral mortgages, lines of credit, promissory notes and/or any other claim registered against the property title. 28. Can legal fees and permits be included in the loan? Legal fees and permits may be included with the RRAP loan. 29. Will an Environmental Assessment Site Assessment be required at the time of loan application? If you are applying for the RRAP Conversion program and the proposed new project will contain more than 5 units, CMHC will require the results of the Phase I of an Environmental Site Assessment duly completed by a qualified environmental consultant in accordance with the Canadian Standards Association. 30. If I am applying for the Secondary/Garden Suite Program, can I do any type of suite? The creation of a secondary suite or a garden suite must be modest in size and cost. 4

6 31. If I am applying for the Secondary/Garden Suite Program, can the occupants of the newly created suite be a relative? Yes, unlike the current Rental Guidelines, where secondary suite or garden suites are being created, the new unit can be rented to eligible family members provided they meet the income requirements. 32. Can the owner of the property do the work themselves? The work can be completed by the owner of the property provided CMHC is satisfied that the work will be completed to meet local requirements and the costs are reasonable. However, the cost of owner s labour is not considered an eligible cost. 33. How long does it take to find out if I will receive funding? Once CMHC receives your application, it may take 2 to 4 weeks to receive a response if your property has been selected. 34. Will I be notified if my property is not selected for funding? Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged. CMHC will contact you to advise why you have not been selected for funding. 35. When should I submit my application for funding? You should submit your completed application when it meets all the criteria required (please see the application checklist for each program). There is limited funding allocated and applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. The most viable projects will receive funding to proceed. 36. Who will review my application? A team of up to 5 CMHC officials will be assessing / scoring applications as they come into our office. 37. Where do I send my completed application? All applications are to be sent directly to: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation 100 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario M2N 6Z1 Attention: Ishita Panchal For further information or if you have any other questions, please contact: Call toll free: or Send an [email protected] 5