member approval – Woodsworth Housing Co-operative

Member Approval and Unit Allocation #84

Passed by the Board of Directors on September 5, 2023
Confirmed by the Members on September 26, 2023 by a two-thirds majority
Amended by Membership Bylaw #89 (Articles 2.5 and 5.1.2)
Passed by the Board of Directors on August 20, 2024
Confirmed by the members on October 16, 2024 with a two-thirds majority

1. About this bylaw

1.1. Priority laws and Woodsworth bylaws
1.2. Repeals
1.3. Special Meanings
1.4. Summary of Time Requirements

2. Applying for membership

2.1. Overview
2.1.1. Aims of the application and membership approval process
2.1.2. Fees
2.2. Membership criteria
2.2.1. Non Discrimination
2.3. Overview of membership application requirements
2.3.1. External applicants
2.3.2. Internal applicants
2.3.3. Long-term guests applying for membership
2.3.4. “Turning Sixteen’s” living with members
2.3.5. Returning members applying as internal applicants
2.4. Application forms
2.5. Proof of income
2.6. Credit and landlord check
2.7. Membership Committee and Process

3. Membership application refusals and appeals

3.1. Grounds for refusal of membership
3.2. Notifying the applicant
3.3. Appeals about membership applications
3.4. No appeal to the members
3.5. Record of refusals of membership
3.6. Re-applying after refusal

4. Allocating units by waiting lists

4.1. Alternating between internal and external waiting lists
4.2. Qualifications for a unit

5. Internal waiting list for unit allocation

5.1. Member’s right to apply to relocate in Woodsworth
5.1.1. Position on the internal waiting list
5.1.2. Restrictions on joining the internal waiting list
5.2. Relocation requests with priority
5.2.1. Priority Internal Waiting List
5.2.2. Maintain number of units with housing charge subsidy
5.2.3. Transfers based on Occupancy Bylaw, Article 5.3 Damage by fire, etc.
5.2.4. Internal move requests that do not get priority on waiting lists
5.2.5. Waiving residency requirements
5.3. Splitting a household
5.4. No trading of units
5.5. Role of staff in making oﬀera
5.5.1. If member cannot be contacted it is considered a refusal
5.5.2. Notification of acceptance of a unit by applicant
5.5.3. Refusal of a unit (internal)
5.5.4. Refusal of a unit if required to move
5.5.5. Refusals for priority internal waiting list
5.5.6. Withdrawing acceptance
5.5.7. Moving date when relocating
5.5.8. Housing charges
5.5.9. Updating occupancy agreement

6. External waiting list for unit allocation

6.1. Who is on the external waiting list
6.1.1. Housing charge subsidy
6.1.2. Position on the external waiting list
6.2. Oﬀers to applicants on the external waiting list
6.2.1. Oﬀering a unit (external)
6.2.2. Notification of acceptance by external applicant
6.2.3. Special requests other than number of bedrooms
6.2.4. If an external applicant cannot be contacted
6.2.5. Refusal of units (external)
6.2.6. Deposits and charges
6.2.7. Signing an Occupancy Agreement
6.2.8. Moving date: taking occupancy in Woodsworth
6.3. Withdrawal of Membership Approval

7. Appeal of waiting list decisions

7.1. Right to Appeal about waiting lists
7.2. Process for Appeal for the waiting list

8. Moving out of the Co-op

9. Wheelchair adapted units

10. The Membership Committee

10.1. About the Membership Committee
10.2. Election
10.2.1. Committee makeup
10.2.2. Committee vacancies
10.3. Committee organization
10.3.1. Committee meetings
10.3.2. Absence from committee meetings
10.4. Confidentiality agreement
10.5. Files
10.6. Conflict of Interest
10.7. Committee tasks
10.7.1. Information sessions:
10.7.2. Application forms:
10.7.3. Membership Interviews
10.7.4. Membership Decisions
10.7.5. Management responsibilities

11. No Liability

11.1. Matters not addressed in this Bylaw
11.2. Starting Date for this By-law

Schedules and Attachments

Schedule A: Membership and Unit Allocation Responsibilities

(i) The Membership Committee is responsible for
(ii) The manager is responsible for:
(iii) The Board of Directors is responsible for:

Schedule B: Summary of Time Requirements
Schedule C: Application Form for external members
Schedule D: Application form for internal applicants Schedule E: Internal Relocation Application Form Schedule F: Woodsworth’s Criteria Guideline for Priority Moves Attachment A: Membership Interview Questionnaire Attachment B: Interview Report for Directors and Management; Proof of Principal Residence

The full bylaw is available. It has a clickable table of contents.

Some of the attached forms are also in the Woodsworth forms.

This explainer is for people who do not live in Woodsworth but wish to get an apartment or townhouse in the co-operative.

There are two steps to moving into a unit in Woodsworth Housing Co-op.

– First, you must apply for membership. However the external route to membership is only open when there is a reasonable path to residency. See Vacancies

– Once your application is approved by the Board of Directors, you will join the external waiting list, as housing units are offered through the waiting lists.

If you already live with a Woodsworth member—such as a long-term guest, resident teen, or returning member — you would follow the similar internal membership process. See Membership guide

Membership process:

To be placed on the external waiting list, external applicants must first attend an information session. These sessions are held infrequently and only when the external waiting list is open.

At this time, we do not anticipate opening the external waiting list in the near future, as it is currently full.

When an information session is scheduled and the external waiting list opens, Woodsworth will:
– Announce it to members through the Weekly Newsletter so they can
– inform family and friends
– Publish the notice on the Woodsworth website
– Ask the Co-op Housing Federation of Toronto to post the information on its website

Membership approval

All new members moving into the co-op must complete the membership process outlined in Member Approval and Unit Allocation Bylaw #84. This includes:
– Attending an information session
– Being interviewed by the Membership Committee
– Receiving final approval from the Board of Directors

Membership criteria:

See Criteria

About Woodsworth’s housing stock

Woodsworth has apartments in the mid-rise building at 133 Wilton Street, townhouses on George Street South, Albert Franck Place, and Frederick Street. There are also street access units on Wilton Street. Only the 1-bedroom units in the mid-rise building are stair-free accessible units. Woodsworth also has three (3) wheelchair-adapted units.

Unit allocation and waiting lists

Housing units are offered through waiting lists. External applicants are offered units based on their position on the External Waiting List. Woodsworth staff are responsible for managing waiting lists, offering units, and coordinating move-ins.

When applying for membership, external applicants indicate their requested unit size and type on the membership application form. Management transfers these requests to the appropriate external waiting lists after approval by the Board of Directors.

Occupancy standards

Applicants will only be offered units for which they qualify under the Occupancy Bylaw.
Specifically, Article 9.3(a) sets out the minimum number of occupants required for each unit size.

Applicants will only be offered a unit that they qualify for based on the Occupancy Bylaw’s occupancy standards:

Occupancy Bylaw, Article 9.3 (a) describes the minimum number of persons for each of the co-op’s unit sizes.

Unit size	Minimum people	Exceptions
1 bedroom	Minimum – 1 occupant	None
2 bedroom	Minimum – 1 occupant in mid-rise and Wilton Street only	2 occupants required for 2-bedroom townhouses.
3 bedroom	Minimum – 3 occupants	None
4 bedroom	Minimum – 4 occupants	None

The number of persons does not include short-term guests or visitors.

The number of persons does includes babies and children.

The Ontario Family Law Act determines whether a child is considered the member’s child for the purposes of housing in Woodsworth.

There is no maximum number of people except as set by the City of Toronto bylaws.

Your household

If your household composition has changed since your Board approval, you must notify Management.

Any new co-residents over the age of 16 must apply for long-term guest status. Management will assist with this process; however, Board approval is required. Approved long-term guests may attend the next annual internal membership information session. Note that those who become members in your unit have equal rights and responsibilities as you. (Membership Bylaw, Article 2.3.3 (c) Long-term guests applying for membership)

There are rules about pets and number of pets. See Rules Bylaw, Article III.

Unit offers and acceptance

Management is responsible for issuing unit offers and coordinating all tasks related to moving into Woodsworth. All members are required to sign an Occupancy Agreement for their unit.

Woodsworth’s members have approved a bylaw which includes alternating between internal and external waiting lists. While there will likely be a long wait to be offered a unit, it should speed up the process. For more information see
Alternating between internal and external waiting lists

Timelines, offers, refusals and contact rules

There are timelines for replying to unit offers from Management and to move-in dates.

Co-op tries to reach you within 3 business days.
You have 3 business days to respond.
No response is counted as a refusal.

After three (3) refusals you are bumped to the bottom of the list – for more information, see #9 on this summary of the rules: https://www.woodsworthcoop.ca/index.php/unit-allocation-procedures/

Refusal count does not depend on how many preferences or size units you’ve listed.
One refusal is counted per offer that meets your criteria, not per type of unit.

Limiters (Special Requests)

Applicants may specify preferences such as unit location or other features. However, if an available unit does not match these preferences, the household will be skipped and not offered the unit. This is not considered a refusal under Article 4(h) of the Member Approval and Unit Allocation Bylaw.
Please note that adding special requests or limiters may delay the time it takes to be offered a unit.

Changes to unit requests

Applicants may change their requested unit size, unit type, or location preferences at any time without affecting their position on the waiting list, in accordance with the Membership: Membership Bylaw: Member Approval and Unit Allocation, Article 4(g).

If your household size or makeup has changed, your accommodation needs (accessibility) or ability to pay for a unit has changed, you should consider adjusting your unit request.

Move-in timelines

If a household on the external waiting list accepts a unit that has been offered to them, they will not be required to take occupancy and commence payment of the housing charges until the first day of the third month following the offer, approximately sixty (60) days.

If the unit is vacant earlier, the household must make all reasonable efforts to move in and commence paying the housing charges earlier, if it can be done without financial loss to them. (Membership Bylaw, Article 6.2.8 Moving date: taking occupancy in Woodsworth)

The move must happen on the specified date.

Once a unit is accepted, you’re removed from all other waiting lists for Woodsworth.

The members in the household must sign the Occupancy Agreement. See Management.

Maintaining your application

If you are on a waiting list, it is essential that Woodsworth management has your current contact information, including your mailing address, phone numbers, and email address.

Your place on the external waiting list

To check your position on the external waiting list or to update your contact information, please contact the Office by phone at 416-363-3418 or by email using the Contact Woodsworth link.

Please note that Woodsworth also maintains a priority waiting list for special circumstances, particularly for disability-related accommodation, as required under human rights legislation. As a result, it is not possible to determine an exact position on the waiting list.

For more information:

Unit allocation, time lines (offers, refusals), and more: unit allocation

Unit types and floor plans.

For details, see the Membership Bylaw, Membership Bylaw: Member Approval and Unit Allocation

Tag: member approval

Membership Bylaw: Member Approval and Unit Allocation #84 – Table of Contents