In Toronto’s increasingly unaffordable rental market, housing instability is no longer a temporary setback — it is a growing and persistent crisis. For Kehilla Affordable Housing, a nonprofit housing provider serving Toronto’s Jewish community, that pressure is showing up in longer waitlists, rising demand for rental support and families struggling to stay housed.
Kehilla works to ensure low- and moderate-income Jewish individuals, seniors, families, people with disabilities, Holocaust survivors and newcomers can access safe, affordable housing within their community. But as rents continue to be out of reach for many in the city, even households with stable incomes are finding it harder to keep up.
Toronto’s Affordable Housing Waitlist Crisis
“The waitlist for rent-geared-to-income housing now stretches decades,” says Lisa Lipowitz, executive director of Kehilla. “For many of the households we work with, there simply isn’t a realistic pathway to deeply affordable housing in the short or medium term. That leaves families stuck in unstable or unaffordable situations.”
Preventing Eviction Through Kehilla’s Rental Assistance Program
To address this widening gap, Kehilla operates its Rental Assistance Program (RAP), a direct-to-tenant support that helps prevent eviction and homelessness before crisis strikes. Hear Marlene’s story in this video, and how Kehilla helped her.
“Rising rents coupled with limited incomes force many families to choose between paying for housing or paying for food,” Lipowitz explains. “RAP provides immediate financial support that allows households to remain safely housed. It’s a practical solution that stabilizes families when they need it most.”
The Real Impact of Rental Assistance in Toronto
The impact is deeply personal. One RAP recipient shared:
“Kehilla’s Rental Assistance Program has been extremely instrumental in me and my son’s life. There is no way as a single mother I would be able to afford market rental rates. Without the assistance from Kehilla, I know I would be homeless.”
Strengthening Nonprofit Housing Providers Through Front Door
As demand grows, so does the need for stronger collaboration and investment. That’s where Partners for Affordable Housing comes in.
Kehilla is now part of Front Door, Partners’ free, collaborative online directory designed to increase visibility for trusted nonprofit housing providers. By making it easier for funders, policymakers, private investors and sector partners to discover and connect with organizations delivering proven impact, Front Door reduces barriers to collaboration and accelerates support where it’s needed most. needed most.
Expanding Tenant Stability Through Strategic Investment
In addition, Kehilla will have more opportunity to secure additional funding through Partners’ Tenant Stability Fund. The Tenant Stability focuses on deploying resources toward interventions and wraparound supports that stabilize households before housing insecurity becomes a crisis. Programs like RAP, currently supporting 300 households with up to $400 monthly in rental assistance, are exactly the type of solution the Tenant Stability Fund is designed to support.
“Partnering with Partners for Affordable Housing will help us broaden RAP’s reach,” says Lipowitz. “Through this collaboration, we hope to access wider networks of philanthropic investment and connect more easily with funders and sector partners who share our commitment to affordable housing.”
Building a Stronger Affordable Housing Ecosystem in Canada
For Partners, the goal is clear: strengthen the affordable housing organizations already doing effective work on the ground.
“Nonprofit housing providers like Kehilla are essential anchors in their communities,” says Jolene Livingston, CEO of Partners for Affordable Housing. “Through Front Door and the Tenant Stability Fund, we are increasing visibility, unlocking new pathways for investment and helping organizations scale proven solutions that keep people and families stably housed in their communities. When we strengthen providers, we strengthen the entire housing ecosystem. It’s a win-win.”
For Kehilla, the partnership reinforces credibility and opportunity.
“Being part of the Partners for Affordable Housing network confirms our reputation as an experienced housing provider with a strong track record,” Lipowitz says. “It makes it easier for funders, policymakers, and partners to connect with us and support the expansion of affordable housing solutions.”
Collaboration Is Essential to Address Canada’s Housing Crisis
As Canada’s housing crisis deepens, collaboration across sectors is no longer optional. By connecting trusted community providers like Kehilla with coordinated investment and shared tools, Partners for Affordable Housing is helping ensure that more individuals and families can remain safely housed — before the instability spiral turns into homelessness.
Learn more about Front Door and our Tenant Stability Fund