ReverseMortgageWhitby.ca sets out how Whitby homeowners 55 and older can pay for more help at home. Public care comes first. Town and Durham Region services fill some gaps. A reverse mortgage is one way to pay for the private hours that are left.
Start with publicly funded care
Ontario Health atHome is the provincial agency that arranges publicly funded home care. You can reach it at 1-833-515-1234 or through ontariohealthathome.ca. Your doctor or another health care professional, including a hospital team before you go home, can also refer you.
A care coordinator works with you to decide the type and level of service you need. That plan sets what the public system provides and how often.
Help beyond the plan is paid for privately. Families often add extra hours of personal support, overnight help or housekeeping through a private agency. Ontario Health atHome says it doesn’t usually provide housekeeping, and its staff can point you to private-pay or subsidized services.
Help the Town of Whitby already offers
Free snow clearing at the end of your driveway
The Town clears the snowbank at the end of your driveway for free, along with the Town-owned sidewalk beside your property. Whitby residents 65 and older qualify, as do people whose doctor certifies they are unable to clear snow. It applies only when no one under 65 in the home is able to help.
Registration for winter 2026-27 is open from September 14 to November 1, 2026, online at whitby.ca/WindrowApp (Town of Whitby, 2026). The crews come after 10 cm of snow for the driveway end and 5 cm for sidewalks.
The Whitby 55+ Recreation Centre
Membership costs $22.86 plus HST a year for ages 55 to 89, and it’s free for residents 90 and older. The centre is at 801 Brock St S, with more 55+ programs at the Brooklin Community Centre and Library on Vipond Rd (Town of Whitby, 2026).
The centre also runs a free income tax clinic for low-income seniors from March 1 to April 30. It’s for single people earning under $35,000 and couples under $45,000, with drop-off at the centre (Town of Whitby, 2026).
Rides from Durham Region Transit
Durham Region runs Specialized Services, an accessible ride service for people who can’t use regular buses. Eligibility depends on whether a disability stops you from using scheduled transit. It isn’t based on age or income, and a temporary disability can qualify (Durham Region Transit).
Using a reverse mortgage for private care hours
With a reverse mortgage, you borrow against your Whitby home and make no required monthly mortgage payments. To qualify, each owner on title has to be 55 or older, and the home has to be your main residence. Property tax, home insurance and upkeep stay your responsibility.
Three ways to receive the money
- A lump sum. Lenders typically ask for a first amount of roughly $20,000 to $25,000.
- Scheduled deposits. These often start at around $1,000 a month, paid into your bank account on a set schedule.
- A mix of both. For example, a first amount for a bathroom change, then monthly deposits for a caregiver.
Interest is charged only on money you’ve received. Some lenders charge a small fee for each extra amount you ask for later, and the rate on later amounts differs by lender.
How much and at what rate
The most you can borrow rises with age, from about 46% of your home’s value at 55 to about 60% from age 78. Anything still owing on the home is paid off first from that same amount. The Whitby reverse mortgage calculator gives a first figure.
On September 17, 2026, the four lenders were advertising five-year fixed rates between 6.23% and 6.94% (reversemortgagebroker.ca, September 2026). The one-time costs, including the appraisal and legal fees, are set out in the guide to reverse mortgage costs in Whitby.
The money is not income
Reverse mortgage money doesn’t reduce your OAS or GIS, because it’s a loan. No tax slip is issued. Interest earned on a lump sum left sitting in savings does count as income, so scheduled deposits suit care bills that arrive month by month.
RRIF withdrawals work differently: the Canada Revenue Agency taxes them as income in the year you receive them (CRA).
Your home and your estate
You can never owe more than your home is worth (its fair market value) when the mortgage comes due, as long as property taxes, insurance and upkeep are kept up. Whitby homeowners get this protection, typically called the no negative equity guarantee, from all four lenders.
Over time, interest is added to the balance. Rising Whitby home prices can make up for part or all of that interest, so your family’s equity isn’t certain to shrink. Recent prices are in the Whitby home prices guide.
When care at home is no longer enough
A permanent move of the last borrower into long-term care makes the mortgage due. If your spouse is also on the mortgage and still lives at home, nothing changes. Families commonly have up to a year to sell or repay.
Long-term care applications also go through Ontario Health atHome. Costs, local homes and waiting lists are covered in the Whitby long-term care guide.
Other ways families make room for care
Some families bring a relative or caregiver to live close by, in a secondary suite on the same Whitby lot. Others change the house itself with renovations that make it safer to stay in your home, such as a main-floor bathroom.
Property tax is still due with a reverse mortgage. The Town’s rebate for low-income seniors on GIS is explained in the Whitby property tax guide for seniors.
Getting a recommendation
Richard Hopkins, Mortgage Broker, compares every reverse mortgage lender in Canada for your Whitby home. Home equity lines of credit, refinances and regular mortgages are part of his work too. Once each one is weighed, you get a recommendation based on your situation, even if it’s not a reverse mortgage.
Whitby families deal with Richard by email and phone, and your children can be copied on every message. You never need to visit an office. The short reverse mortgage assessment is a simple place to begin.
The parts Richard takes care of
- Works out how much your Whitby home could provide at your age
- Compares every reverse mortgage lender in Canada for you
- Sets up a first amount, scheduled deposits or both, to match your care costs
- Explains how the money affects your OAS, GIS and tax return
- Looks at a home equity line of credit or refinance as well
- Copies your children on every email, if you want them involved
- Helps you choose a lawyer near you for your independent legal advice appointment (ILA), and contacts them for you
- Explains what happens to the mortgage if a move to long-term care comes later
Your choices next to each other
| Question | Reverse mortgage | Home equity line of credit | Savings or RRIF withdrawals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly payments | No required monthly mortgage payments | Payments required, and they rise when the prime rate rises | None, you spend money you already have |
| Qualifying | Every owner 55 or older; no bank-style income test | Income-tested, with a stress test | Nothing to qualify for |
| Interest | Added to the balance; nothing leaves your bank account | Charged at a variable rate tied to prime | None, but the money stops earning returns |
| Effect on OAS and GIS | None, the money is a loan | None, the money is a loan | RRIF withdrawals are taxable income and can reduce GIS |
| How much is available | Up to about 60% of the home's value, depending on age | Up to 65% of the home's value, if income qualifies | What you have saved |
Related Whitby guides
- Long term care in Whitby: homes, waiting lists, costs and your house
- Reverse mortgage cost in Whitby: one-time fees, interest and an example
- Whitby property tax for seniors: 2026 rates, due dates and relief
- Whitby house prices in 2026, and what your home could provide
Where these figures come from
Checked 2026-10-16.
- Ontario Health atHome, home page and provincial line (accessed 2026-10-16)
- Ontario Health atHome, Home care (accessed 2026-10-16)
- Town of Whitby, Snow and windrow clearing services, winter 2026-27 (accessed 2026-10-16)
- Town of Whitby, 55+ programs: where to find us and membership (accessed 2026-10-16)
- Town of Whitby, 55+ support and resources, tax clinic (accessed 2026-10-16)
- Durham Region Transit, Specialized Services eligibility (accessed 2026-10-16)
- Canada Revenue Agency, Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF)
- reversemortgagebroker.ca, Reverse mortgage rate update, September 17, 2026