Applications are now being taken for a one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit, which aims to help low-income renters with the cost of housing.
You may be eligible for a tax-free one-time payment of $500 if your income and the amount you pay on rent qualify.
Part of the qualification criteria is having an adjusted family net income in 2021 of $35,000 or less for families and $20,000 or less for individuals
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) administers this one-time payment. To apply for this new federal one-time payment, you do not need to receive other housing benefits such as the Canada Housing Benefit, which is co-funded and delivered by the provinces and territories.
The one-time $500 federal boost to the existing Canada Housing Benefit program is designed to help those eligible to cover the cost of rent as it continues to rise nationwide.
Applications are open until Friday, March 31, 2023.
It's part of a bill that became law last month that also brought in the first federal dental-care benefit.
Application deadline
If you are eligible, applications are currently open.
Apply through your account
Apply for the one-time payment through CRA My Account to get the payment as soon as possible. Make sure you're ready to apply.
The program is expected to cost Canadians $1.2 billion.
The additional funding was included in the 2022 federal budget, with the government setting aside $475 million for those eligible this year. Now, the Liberals say the proposed funding totals $1.2 billion.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
In order to receive this $500 payment to help cover rent, applicants need to confirm they:
- Have filed their 2021 income tax and benefit return;
- Are at least 15 years of age as of Dec. 1, 2022;
- Are a resident in Canada for tax purposes in 2022;
- Have their principal residence in Canada as of Dec. 1, 2022;
- Have paid rent for their own shelter in 2022; and
- Have paid at least 30 per cent of their 2021 adjusted net family income on rent in the 2022 calendar year.
Applicants are being asked to keep any relevant documentation to back up their application in case the CRA comes calling in the next six years to validate their eligibility. This includes tax slips, rental property receipts, and landlord contact information. Applicants found to be ineligible will be required to repay the benefit.
