There’s a stigma that exists for people on government assistance programs, Forsyth said.

When landlords hold open houses and receive dozens of applications for a unit, people in Vollans' position are passed over. The discrimination can even be seen in online apartment ads, filtering out applicants by suggesting only “working professionals” apply.

“People who are receiving social assistance, it’s strongly suggested they not apply to certain units as landlords don’t see them as successful tenants,” Forsyth said about these ads.

Some landlords also ask for an applicant’s credit score or a letter of employment.

Vollans is doing her best, contacting landlords every day, Forsyth said. She’s either not getting responses or she’ll hear back and then be turned away when they find out she’s on social assistance.

Candace Wrixon, manager of homelessness programs at the Drop In, acknowledged the risk landlords undertake when signing a rental agreement with anyone. If a tenant stops paying rent for whatever reason, it could be a difficult process to have them evicted through the Landlord and Tenant Board.

She said this is all the more reason for landlords to rent to someone who has the backing of the Drop In Centre, she said.

“We will support people who are having trouble with their tenancy.”

Gail Hoekstra, executive director of the Drop In Centre, said there are rent subsidies available that aren’t being accessed because the people who could use them are being overlooked.

She said the Drop In Centre has been appealing to the large property managers in Guelph, including Skyline, Balnar, TimBri and CLV Group and encouraging them to rent to people on social assistance.

“We are looking to them as a housing provider in the city,” she said, adding these sites do have places available, but they seem to be out of reach for some people. Vollans could probably afford units in those buildings, but due to her bad credit and her story, she’s passed over, Hoekstra said.

Wrixon said part of the challenge comes with how these larger companies choose successful applicants. When Housing First workers go out and talk to landlords, they’re usually on board, having met the family and having an understanding of the support offered by the Drop In Centre, she said.

But then applications are sent away to a head office where decisions are made based on data like credit score and income history. This leaves people like Vollans and others like her feeling like they have little hope in finding a place.

'We can't afford affordable housing'

Forsyth said the only thing housing support workers can do is build relationships with landlords and show them people coming through the shelter system should be considered as potential tenants.

Vollans is an articulate, smart person who has great references and should have no problem finding a place for her and her daughters, Drop In Centre staff said. She just has to shake the stigma that comes with experiencing homelessness.

On Monday, Vollans will be speaking as a delegate at a city planning meeting and aims to share her personal experience in finding housing. She’ll be speaking in relation to a 678-unit mixed-density residential development proposal and will be asking for 50 of those units to be set aside to become rent-geared-to-income housing.

The city has set targets regarding the construction of affordable housing, but for people unable to work and relying on Ontario Works or other social assistance programs, the affordable rate — defined by the province as 80 per cent of market value — is out of reach.

“We can’t afford affordable housing,” Vollans said. “There’s no way for anyone to break out of this cycle of homelessness because the properties don’t exist.”