Applicant FAQs

Civida is committed to helping you access affordable housing. This includes providing services in a language that best meets your needs. As of September 1, 2022, Civida offers all in-person and over the phone visits with interpretation services in over 200 languages. See the available languages here.

No, you do not have to complete a Police Information Check.

No, you do not have to live in Edmonton for any length of time before applying.

We must follow the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation (SHAR) to define who counts as a member of your household. A member of your household includes:

• Your spouse or adult interdependent partner
• A person related to you by blood, adoption or marriage
• A person who lives regularly with you as part of your family unit
• Any dependents that live with you, including children for whom you have sole custody or at least 50% joint custody
• A live-in aide
• A person who is usually a member of your household but is temporarily absent due to:
  • Military service
  • Hospitalization
  • Employment
  • School attendance
  • Other special circumstances

• We must follow the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation (SHAR) to assign Community Housing homes. Priority is decided based on a point system – the more points an applicant has, the higher they will be on the priority list. It is not first come, first served.
  • Note that our Near Market Housing program does not use point scoring.
• We will contact the applicant with the highest point score when there is an available home that a) matches the building(s) they selected and b) has the number of bedrooms they require.
  • It is important to update any changes in your application because it may change your point score and your place on the priority list.
  • In the event that more than one applicant has the same point score, the person that applied first will have priority.
• Because the priority list is always shifting based on who else has applied, we cannot tell applicants how long they will wait for housing.

• We must follow the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation (SHAR) to assign Community Housing homes. Priority is decided based on a point system – the more points an applicant has, the higher they will be on the priority list. It is not first come, first served.
  • Note that our Near Market Housing program does not use point scoring.
• We will contact the applicant with the highest point score when there is an available home that a) matches the building(s) they selected and b) has the number of bedrooms they require.
  • It is important to update any changes in your application because it may change your point score and your place on the priority list.
  • In the event that more than one applicant has the same point score, the person that applied first will have priority.
• Because the priority list is always shifting based on who else has applied, we cannot tell applicants how long they will wait for housing.

According to the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation (SHAR), points are given for the following:

• Number of Dependents – A dependent is a member of the household who does not support themselves financially, including a spouse or adult interdependent partner who is not employed
  • An applicant may be awarded three points for each dependent in the household, up to a maximum of 24 points.
• Percentage of Income Used for Rent – “Rent to income” is the percentage of an applicant’s total annual income that goes toward their rent. The total annual income before tax is used to calculate rent to income.
  • An applicant may be awarded points if their rent to income is more than 30%, up to a maximum of 21 points.
• Special Circumstances – Special circumstances include:
  • An applicant has been served a Notice to Vacate or Eviction Notice
  • An applicant is fleeing family/domestic violence
  • An applicant may be awarded 15 points for special circumstances.
• Accessibility – If an applicant’s current accommodation is not accessible or adaptable for the physical circumstances of any members of the applicant’s household.
  • An applicant may be awarded up to 12 points.
• Overcrowding – If an applicant’s current accommodation does not have enough bedrooms for all the people in the household. The number of bedrooms your household needs is based on the National Occupancy Standard. According this standard, overcrowding is when:
  • Two or more people share a bedroom, and there is no empty bedroom in the house (this does not include spouses or couples)
  • An individual 18 years or older has to share a bedroom with another member of the household
  • A child five years of age or older must share a bedroom with someone of the opposite gender
  • An applicant may be awarded 3 points for each additional bedroom they would need, up to a maximum of 12 points.
• Accommodation Detrimental to Health – If an applicant’s current accommodation is causing or aggravating serious health problems, or is unsafe. This can include physical conditions (e.g. broken windows) and environmental conditions (e.g. excessive noise).
  • An applicant may be awarded up to 10 points.
• Shared Accommodation – If an applicant is sharing accommodation with another individual or family on a temporary basis.
  • An applicant may be awarded up to 3 points.
• Utilities – If an applicant is responsible for paying utility costs in addition to rent at their current accommodation. Utilities include:
  • Lights
  • Heat
  • Water, sewer, or septic
  • An applicant may be awarded 1 point for each utility they pay, up to a maximum of 3 points.
• Housing First Program Graduate – Individuals who are part of the Housing First Program should contact us to determine eligibility and required documentation.
  • An applicant who is a Housing First graduate may be awarded 10 points.

Tenants may have a pet with prior approval from Civida. Please indicate if you have a pet in your application. Service dogs are not considered pets, and are permitted. If you have a service dog, you will be asked to provide documentation as part of your application. For more information about pets, please review our information sheet on Pets and Service Dogs.

• Current Civida tenants who wish to move to a new home must apply for a transfer using a Transfer Request Form. Transfer requests will be reviewed and assessed for eligibility the same way that new applications are processed.
• Please contact us for more information about the transfer process.

• We process applications in the order they are received. During periods of high volume, it may take several weeks for your initial application to be reviewed and placed on the priority list. Please check the status of your application in the Applicant Portal.
• Once you are on the priority list, please contact us at least once a year to ensure your file remains active.
• Note that we are unable to offer any emergency housing. Please call 211 for a referral to other housing organizations in the Edmonton area.

Yes, a support worker, family member or friend can contact Civida on your behalf. However, you must first complete a Consent to Release Personal Information form. To protect your privacy, we will only speak to people you list on this form. This includes any MLA or City Councillor office that may be helping you.

• It is very important to let us know if your information changes after you submit your application. This can change your point score and your place on the priority list.
• Be sure to update your application when:
  • Someone has moved in or out of your home
  • A baby is born or adopted into your home
  • Your income or a household member’s income has changed
  • Your contact information has changed: email, phone number, mailing address
  • You have moved to a new address
  • Your current rent amount has changed
  • If the area or building you want to live in has changed
  • If you will need a different number of bedrooms than when you originally applied
• Please update your application details in the Applicant Portal.

• All applications must be submitted online using the Applicant Portal unless there are special circumstances.
• Please contact us if you need an alternative application or assistance.

• New Applicants: If you are a new applicant, you will first create an account using your email address and a password that you set. In the future, you will then use your email address and password to log into the Applicant Portal.
• Existing Applicants: If you already have an application on file with Civida, please contact Civida to:
  • Provide us with a current email address
  • Receive a Civida application code
  • You will then create an account using your email address, Civida application code, and a password that you set. In the future, you will then use your email address and password to log into the Applicant Portal.