Do I qualify?
The rental supplement is available on a per-household basis to those who meet ALL of the following criteria:- receiving or eligible for Employment Insurance, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit or experiencing a 25% reduction in monthly employment income as a result of COVID-19;
- 2019 household income of less than $74,150 for households with no dependents and $113,040 for households with dependents;
- paying more than 30% of current/reduced gross monthly income towards rent; and
- not receiving any other rent subsidy from any level of government, including subsidized housing or rent supplements, such as Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) or the Rental Assistance Program (RAP).
When & how will the supplement be paid?
The supplement will be available for April, May and June 2020. Renters who are eligible for the program and have already paid their April rent are still able to receive the rental supplement for this month. The supplement will be paid directly to landlords on behalf of renters. Once an application is completed and processed, funds will be direct deposited within approximately seven days.How do I apply?
There is a two-step process to apply for the BC Temporary Rental Supplement program:- Tenants Must Start the Application Tenants will need to have all information with them when they apply. The application cannot be paused or saved. The documentation needs to be in digital format for uploading. The following file types will be accepted: PDF, TIFF, JPG, JPEG, and PNG. Tenants will be asked to provide the following information:• Proof of address, such as a driver’s license or utility bill• Proof of monthly rent amount, such as a signed tenancy agreement, rent receipt, or notice of rent increase • Their landlord’s details and contact information, including email address • For every household member who is over the age of 19: • Identification, such as a driver’s license or BC identification card • Proof of 2019 income (2019 Notice of Assessment or T-Slips) • Proof of 2020 income loss related to COVID 19, and current income (Employment Insurance, Canada Emergency Response Benefit, Record of Employment, letter from employer, etc.)
- Landlords Complete the Application Once an application has been reviewed and assessed as eligible, an email will be sent to the landlord asking them to complete the application process. You should inform your landlord that you are applying for the BC Temporary Rental Supplement Program so they can watch for this email.Landlords will be asked to confirm details around tenancy, rental address and monthly rent amount. They will need to provide their mailing address and banking information to receive payment by direct deposit.Once the landlord has completed their portion of the application, both you and your landlord will receive a final confirmation email.
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