Category: Membership, long-term guests, relocation & unit allocation

Alternating between internal and external waiting lists – unit allocation

Woodsworth alternates between waiting lists for units of the same size.

This is based on the Membership: Membership: Member Approval and Unit Allocation Bylaw Article 4.1].

Management must follow the bylaw when units become available.

1.  Woodsworth has two waiting lists – internal and external.

Explainers

Internal:

For information about how the internal waiting list works, see Relocation, the internal waiting list and unit allocation

External:

For information about the external waiting list, see External Waiting Lists and moving into Woodsworth

Priority internal waiting list:

The priority internal waiting list is separate and is not part of the rotation but relates to human rights and accommodation.  See Priority waiting list 
See also 2 (f).

2.  How alternating works

(a)  The co-operative will fill vacancies alternately from the internal and external waiting lists unless there is someone with established special priority for that sized unit. See Article 5.2.1 about priority list.

(b)  Alternation of waiting lists applies to all sized units: 1, 2. 3 and 4 bedroom units.

(c)  One (1) of each unit size will be filled from the internal waiting list and then the next available of that unit size will be filled from the external waiting list. Each unit size (bedroom) waiting list operates independently.

(d)  One bedroom units will be filled alternately between the one bedroom internal and external waiting lists.

Two bedroom units will be filled alternately between the two bedroom internal and external waiting lists.

Three bedroom units will be filled alternately between the three bedroom internal and external waiting lists.

Four bedroom units will be filled alternately between the four bedroom internal and external waiting lists

(e)  If no one on the appropriate waiting list is qualified for or accepts the available unit, the alternate waiting list for that size unit will be used.

(f)  Only moves from the regular internal and external waiting lists count for alternating between internal and external wait lists.
– A priority move doesn’t count as an internal move.
– Allocation of wheelchair adapted units does not count as an internal or external move.

3.  Membership Bylaw

To see this in context, visit the full Membership Bylaw – Member Approval and Unit Allocation bylaw #84.

 

Membership guide – becoming a member

1.  Who can apply for membership

  • Minimum Age for membership: 16 years old

2.  Four categories of applicants

Long-Term Guests
  • Live in Woodsworth
  • Approved by the Board as a Long-Term Guest
  • Long-Term Guest Agreement signed by all household members and witnessed by Management
  • May apply for membership at any time
  • Membership is optional
  • All co-op members in the household must agree to the membership application. This is important because, by supporting the application, the current household members are agreeing to extend equal membership rights and responsibilities to the new applicant if they are approved for membership.
Turning 16s (youth aged 16-19)
  • Live in Woodsworth
  • Lived in Woodsworth before turning 16
  • No Long-Term Guest Agreement required
  • Simplified membership process
  • Those who miss the age window or did not live at Woodsworth before turning 16 years old may apply through the Long-Term Guest process.
  • All co-op members in the household must agree to the membership application. This is important because, if the application is approved, the new member will have the same rights and responsibilities as the current household members.
Returning Members
  • Former members of the co-op who do not currently live in Woodsworth
  • Normally attend the annual internal information session (with LTGs)
  • Have special privileges when applying for membership (see Special Rules)
External Applicants

3.  Members’ rights and responsibilities

Once approved as members by the Board of Directors, applicants:

  • Share equal rights and responsibilities for the unit
  • Live at Woodsworth and use common facilities
  • Vote at members’ meetings *
  • Run in elections (Board positions require age 18+) *
  • Participate in governance (committees, Board, other activities) *
  • Apply for their own unit after 2 years of membership (applies to LTGs and Turning Sixteens) 
    * These rights apply to applicants after they have moved into Woodsworth.

    4.  The membership process

This document focuses primarily on people who live in Woodsworth and on returning members.

A. Attend the Information Session

This is mandatory for all applicants.

The session is held once a year for long-term guests, Turning 16s, and Returning Members only by the Membership Committee.

Note: Information sessions for external applicants are scheduled only when the external waiting list has been reduced to a manageable size. Because of this, there may be extended periods when no external information sessions are offered.

You must bring to the information session:
Proofs of residency for Long-term Guests and Turning 16’s

⚠️ Without these documents, attendance is not permitted.

What you must bring these documents to the information session

Applicant Type

What to Bring

Notes
LTG Signed LTG agreement (witnessed by staff), 2 proofs of residency, photo ID Talk to staff if issues with documents
Youth (16–19) 2 proofs of residency, photo ID No LTG agreement needed
Returning Member Proof of at least 2 year residency as member. Photo ID and proof of address. Attend internal session. Submit proof of residency ahead of session
External Applicant Proofs listed in invitation Invited only when waitlists are low

B. Apply for membership

  • At the session, you will receive an application form with a tracking number linked to your name.
  • Applications must be submitted to Management within 3 months.
  • All current household members must co-sign the form, confirming shared rights and responsibilities.

C. Review and interviews

What happens

  • Two committee members interview adult applicants.
  • Applicants aged 16–19 have an informal conversation instead of a formal interview.
  • Management conducts the required financial checks.
  • The Membership Committee recommends whether to approve the application.
  • The Board receives the application package.

Membership Committee responsibilities

  • Update the tracking document.
  • Complete the interview report part of the tracking  document.
  • Forward the recommendation to Management using  the tracking form.
  • Forward the completed application form to Management for the official  files.

Management responsibilities

  • Complete financial and income verification.
  • Update the tracking document.
  • Forward the applicants’ tracking documents to the Board for a board meeting approval.

D. Board decision

The Board evaluates applications using the membership criteria in Article 2.2 of the Membership Bylaw.

The Board may:

  • approve the application
  • request additional information
  • deny the application

Applicants are notified of the decision by Management.

Appeals may be made under Article 3.3 of the Membership Bylaw.

Applications are evaluated against the co-op’s membership criteria (Membership Bylaw Article 2.2):

E. Sign the Occupancy Agreement

  • Successful internal applicants are requested to visit the office with the members of their household to sign the new or updated occupancy agreement.
  • Once the Occupancy Agreement is signed, the applicant becomes a member with full rights and responsibilities
  • Keep a copy — this is your proof of membership
  • Returning  members and external applicants only sign the Occupancy Agreement when they accept a specific unit in Woodsworth.

5. Special rules & internal waiting list

  • Two-year rule: New members who joined as LTGs or Turning 16s must wait 2 years before joining the internal waiting list or taking over a unit without members in residence
  • One-year exception: Members who were already on the list before Sept 26, 2023 (the date of the bylaw approval) had to wait only 1 year after signing the Occupancy Agreement.
  • Returning Members may join the internal waiting list once approved by the Board.
  • External Applicants: Placed on the external waiting list upon Board approval. (Applicants should confirm unit size requests based on the occupancy standards.)
  • Explainer about the internal waiting list

6.  Who does what

  • Membership Committee
    • Runs info sessions
    • Interviews applicants
    • Recommends membership decisions to the Board
  • Board of Directors
    • Approves Long-Term Guest status
    • Approves membership applications
  • Management
    • Handles LTG requests and paperwork
    • Tracks approvals and membership status
    • Conducts credit checks and financial reviews
    • Prepares Occupancy Agreements
    • Manages unit allocation (per the Membership Bylaw)

7.  What the Membership Committee does

A committee member creates tracking forms for each attendee at the information session. At checkin for the info session, committee members update the applicants’  tracking documents. to show that they have provided the required documentation.

The Committee’s presentation at the Information Session should explain the requirements for membership, with a focus on the co-op’s bylaws and the role of members in the governance of the co-op. It should emphasize the co-op’s democratic structure and introduce Woodsworth’s history and the worldwide co-operative movement. The presentation should also direct applicants to key sources of information, including the Weekly newsletter, the bylaws, other resources available on the co-op’s website, the management office, and the co-op’s committees as information sources and as opportunities for participation.

8.  More Information

Main page for membership issues:  Membership, long-term guests, relocation & unit allocation

Unit allocation and apartment and townhouse floor plans

Woodsworth has a mix of housing units.
There is an eight story mid rise apartment building on Wilton Street with 122 units.
Unit sizes in Woodsworth range from 1 – 4 bedrooms.

Nearly all Woodsworth units with two or more bedrooms have stairs:

  • One bedroom units in the mid-rise have no stairs.
  • One bedroom units in the stacked units on George and Frederick are on the third level and have stairs.
  • Two bedroom apartments in the mid-rise have stairs to the units since they utilize the space over the common hallways on the 3, 5, and 7 floor for the second bedroom. There are a few one-bedroom units at ends of the floors which may have an extra room but have stairs.
  • Twenty two units have direct street access from Wilton Street. The  two bedroom units are on the ground floor have a patio, and have outside stairs only. Those on the second floor have a balcony and are located above the patio units and thus have inside stairs as well as the outside stairs.
  • Additionally, there are two units, one at each end of the mid-rise that front on George S and Frederick, both smaller 1 bedroom units. No inside stairs, just a few outside.
  • There is also a two bedroom unit off the lobby without stairs.
  • There are also two, three and four bedroom units on George, Frederick and Albert Franck but these have inside stairs as well as a few stairs outside on George and Frederick Street.

Townhouses:

  • There are a total of 70 townhouses on George Street South (east side),  Albert Franck Place and Frederick Street (west side) and all have stairs.
  • The townhouses include stacked and “mews” units (garage on the ground floor in the mews units on Albert Franck Place).
  • The two bedroom units in the stacked units on George and Frederick Streets are two story units with stairs to the bedroom and bathroom level. The three and four bedroom units are three floors plus a basement.
  • The Albert Franck units have three bedrooms on the third floor with the kitchen and living room on the second floor. The ground floor has a utility room / unfinished rec room with patio doors to the back garden. Exception: the south-east end unit adjacent to the laundry room.

Please note that individual units may have changed somewhat.
Kitchens in some townhouse units were remodelled some years ago with an open plan not an enclosed kitchen or with a cut-through to the living room. Floor plans do not reflect these changes.  More recent kitchen renovations retain the original layout.

Basements and ground floor rec rooms in the townhouses may have been finished by members. The standard of finish varies. Some may be a lounge space and some may be storage.

Click here for floor plans.

Principal residence, absence, sublets, home businesses

Principal residence and absence

  • Member Absences: Each member must use their co-op unit as their principal residence and personally live in it.
  • Absence limit: Members may not be away from their unit for more than 10 consecutive months without Board approval.
  • Unit status during absence: Even while away, the unit must remain the member’s principal residence.
  • Short visits don’t reset the clock: Members will still be considered absent if they only return for short visits during a longer absence.
  • See Occupancy Bylaw, Article 6.2
  • Subsidy recipients: Members receiving a housing charge subsidy may face additional limits on absences under government rules or co-op by-laws. If this applies to you, please review Housing Charge Subsidy Bylaw, especially Article 1.3.
  • Proof of residency – see ID requirements as proof of principal residence
    (Membership Bylaw – Member Approval and Unit Allocation)

Sub-Occupancy (Sublets)

If you need to leave your unit temporarily, you may allow someone to occupy your unit as a sub-occupant, but you must follow the Occupancy Bylaw procedures.

Rules and Approvals

Agreement required: All co-op members in your household and all sub-occupants must sign a Sub-Occupancy Agreement approved by the co-op before the sub-occupancy begins.

Board approval: Any sub-occupancy longer than 1 month must be approved by the Board of Directors.

Length of stay: Normally, sub-occupancy cannot last more than 3 months. In unusual cases, the Board may approve a longer term — but never more than 12 months.

Members who receive housing charge subsidy, and who are thinking about sub-occupancy or other absence from the co-op, should find out what effect it may have on their housing charge subsidy. (Occupancy Bylaw, Article 3.7.4 The assisted household may not sublet its unit.)

No profit: Article 6.5. (b) says that says that members must not profit, directly or indirectly, when they allow others to use their unit. This includes sub-occupancy of the unit when the member is away or any sharing arrangement.
(c) Examples of profit are key money and placing too great a value on the furnishings of a unit. Profit does not include guests or sub-occupants paying their fair share of the housing charges and other household costs if it is not a hidden profit on the housing charges.

Required Forms

Request Form
First step in approval.
Must be completed and signed by all household members and the sub-occupant(s). Submit to Management for Board approval.

Sub-Occupancy Agreement
Must be signed before the sub-occupancy starts.
All household members and sub-occupants must sign, with Management as witness. Filed with Management.

Reminder – no short-term rentals

It is against the Occupancy By-law to use your unit for Airbnb, Bed & Breakfast, or similar rentals. This rule applies to all co-op units.  (Occupancy Bylaw, Article 6.3 (b))

You may have long-term guests living with you in your unit but they can only pay their fair share of costs.

Home businesses

Related uses” are typical home business uses that are related or incidental to the use of a unit as a member’s principal residence. Members can have one or more related uses, if:

• the use is permitted by government requirements, including zoning by-laws
• the use does not create disturbance beyond what is appropriate in a residential community like the co-op, such as by too much noise or too many visitors
• the use does not involve excessive demands on co-op utilities and services, such as electricity, and
• co-op by-laws are obeyed.

See Occupancy Bylaw, Article 6.3.
(a) Related Uses
(c) Insurance and liability for related uses

Woodsworth’s Criteria Guideline for Priority Moves

Schedule F of the Member Approval and Unit Allocation (Membership) Bylaw. Woodsworth’s Criteria Guideline for Priority Moves

Confirmed by members on September 26, 2023 as part of the Member Approval and Unit Allocation (Membership) Bylaw

Members may be eligible for placement on a separate Priority Internal Waiting list if they are experiencing a Medical or Disability Accommodation needs, severe Financial Hardship, or Domestic Violence.  See Article 5.2.1 Priority Internal Waiting List

By legal requirement, Medical and Disability Accommodation requests have priority. Applications regarding Financial Hardship or Domestic Violence will be processed on a first come, first serve basis.

The first step is to fill out the Priority Move Application and then meet with the Woodsworth Manager. This process is completely confidential. If the member does not qualify for the Priority Internal Waiting list, the member can fill out a Relocation Application to go on the main internal waiting list. The Board of Directors will review and give final approval to the Accommodation Plan.

CRITERIA

Medical or Disability Accommodation

A request for a Priority Move due to Medical or Disability reasons must follow the Woodsworth’s Accommodation Policy for Residents with Disabilities based on the Ontario Human Rights Code. An Accommodation Request Form will also need to be filled out as part of this process.

The Co-op’s obligations are limited to accommodating disability-related needs, not members’ preferences. The manager will request documentation from an appropriate health practitioner detailing the nature of the individual’s disability, any restrictions resulting from the disability, the expected duration of the restrictions, and the basis for the medical conclusions.

Each person’s situation will be individually assessed by the Co-op Manager. If the manager determines a current housing unit is detrimental to a member’s medical condition and a different unit is needed soon, then the member would qualify for the Priority Move waiting list.

The manager and member will go through the accommodation procedure together. The manager may propose other accommodation options that meet the member’s needs. If the member accepts an accommodation option other than priority relocation, the member can join the main internal waiting list requesting a different unit.

Management and the Co-op website can provide detailed information on the Woodsworth Accommodation Policy and the Accommodation Planning process.

Financial Hardship

If a member is experiencing severe financial hardship and has an urgent need for a less expensive unit, the member must present third-party financial or legal documents to the Co-op Manager as part of the application for a Priority Move.

Proof of severe financial hardship might include, but is not limited to the following documentation: bankruptcy documents (filing documents, proof of claim etc.), creditors letters, Bank statements, Record for employment for job loss.

Those with financial issues must not be in arrears. See Article 5.1.2 (c)

Domestic Violence

Woodsworth’s Occupancy Bylaw #82, 7.3, defines violence against another person in the same household as domestic violence. 7.4a of Occupancy Bylaw states: The co-op does not tolerate domestic violence. It will try to assist victims of domestic violence. Members who engage in domestic violence may be evicted.

If a member has experienced domestic violence, is no longer living with the abuser, yet fears for their safety by remaining in the same unit, they can request a Priority Move to another unit.

Documentation may be required. Examples include a restraining order and a peace bond.

The Occupancy Bylaw outlines the co-op’s response to domestic violence. Article 7.4.

Management is in charge of the procedures. If you require a priority move, please use this application form.

Application form

For more information:

Priority internal waiting list and priority relocation