BC Rental Assistance Program increased
The Province is expanding the Rental Assistance Program as of April 1, 2008, to make more families eligible for increased financial assistance, Minister responsible for Housing Rich Coleman announced today.
“We’re delivering on our Budget 2008 commitment to allow families earning up to $35,000 a year to be eligible for the program,” Coleman said. “We’re also introducing a number of other changes that will make life easier for working families.”
The changes will increase the program’s maximum monthly assistance benefits, introduce a $50 minimum monthly benefit and increase the rent ceiling used to calculate the amount of assistance a family will receive.
Families with a dependent under 25 years of age who is enrolled as a full-time student will be eligible, as will families with a child of any age who is accepted as a dependent for income tax purposes due to mental or physical infirmity.
The amount of assistance varies depending on household income and size, the amount of rent paid, and the area of the province where the family lives. To qualify for the Rental Assistance Program, families must have at least one dependent child, have lived in B.C. for the past 12 months, and have spent part of the last year working. Eligible families will receive between $50 and $765 a month depending on their circumstances.
The Rental Assistance Program provides monthly cash assistance to eligible low-income, working families and was created in October 2006 through the provincial housing strategy, Housing Matters BC.
For more information about the Rental Assistance Program, call 604 433-2218 in the Lower Mainland, 1-800-257-7756 elsewhere in the province, or visit www.bchousing.org/programs/RAP.
