Housing allowance: A resource for low-income tenants

Landlords having to send shortly a rent increase notice to low-income tenants over 50 years old may be interested to learn about a government assistance program for rental payments.

Over the past few years, the Government of Quebec has extended the Shelter Allowance Program qualification criteria, gradually lowering the age of eligible people from 55 years old in 2010 to 50 in October 2015.

This program consists of an additional financial support for low-income households devoting a substantial part of the earned income to the payment of their rent. Financial assistance may be up to $80 per month.

Eligible people have to meet one or more of the following criteria:

-People aged 50 or over who live alone.

-Couples in which one partner is aged 50 or over.

-Families (workers, students, welfare recipients or other low-income families) with at least one dependent child.

In addition, the program is aimed at tenants, rooming house occupants and anyone sharing a dwelling with one or more other people.

CORPIQ invites its members to inform potentially eligible tenants about this program since they might not be aware of the available resources to financially support them. Click here to see the eligible incomes.

According to a CORPIQ survey, 42% of landlords have at least one low-income tenant.