16.95°C Vancouver
Ads

Apr 9, 2024 8:31 PM - The Canadian Press

B.C. announces one-time $430 rent relief benefit to low-income seniors

Share On
b-c-announces-one-time-430-rent-relief-benefit-to-low-income-seniors
B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says eligible seniors don't need to apply for the payment, which will be sent out this month.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

The British Columbia government is granting a one-time $430 benefit to the roughly 20,000 seniors in its support program for elderly low-income renters.

B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says eligible seniors don't need to apply for the payment, which will be sent out this month.

Kahlon says the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters program, known as SAFER, will also expand eligibility for its benefits to seniors with annual incomes up to $37,240, compared to the previous $33,000 limit.

Other changes will include the possible annual review and amendment of rent ceilings, which are used to determine how much rental assistance a senior receives.

Former B.C. seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie criticized the seniors aid program in her final report last month, saying the average Vancouver rent is more than double the maximum monthly subsidy of $803 a month.

Mackenzie said at the time that the rent ceiling should be raised to meet the average rent of a SAFER recipient and be allowed to increase annually to address allowable yearly rent increases in B.C.

Kahlon says the improvements reflect the province's response given "the dollars we had available."

"These supports are important, but this is just one of the things that we're doing to support seniors," Kahlon says, referring to renter tax credits and efforts to expand affordable housing options.

"So we are doing a lot of different steps to support seniors," he says. "This, I think, is just one additional piece that will help some of the more vulnerable seniors in our communities."

Kahlon says the province expects the number of seniors under SAFER to grow to 25,000 with the new, expanded eligibility threshold.

Latest news

city-of-surrey-b-c-says-it-lost-2-5-million-in-irregular-transactions
CanadaMay 09, 2025

City of Surrey, B.C., says it lost $2.5 million in 'irregular transactions'

The City of Surrey says it filed a civil lawsuit against a former employee, looking to recover $2.5 million worth of ``irregular transactions.'' A statement from city manager Rob Costanzo Thursday says the lawsuit was filed last year after staff identified problems dating back to 2017 involving dormant development-deposit accounts. Costanzo says staff first spotted irregularities in early 2024 and the city conducted an internal review, engaged external forensic specialists, and reported the situation to the RCMP. He says police are conducting a criminal investigation and the cit
gang-member-wanted-canada-wide-arrested-in-vancouver-returned-to-ontario
CanadaMay 09, 2025

Gang member wanted Canada-wide arrested in Vancouver, returned to Ontario

Police in Vancouver have arrested a man who they say is a member of the Zone 43 gang and was wanted nationwide for drugs and firearms offences. They say the 31-year-old was convicted of 10 different charges after an investigation by the Ottawa Police Service, but fled and has been operating in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood for more than a year. The department says an arrest warrant was issued in Ontario, but VPD officers were unable to enforce it because it was only valid within a 400-kilometre radius of Ottawa. It says the VPD Metro Team worked with the Ottawa Poli
india-suspends-its-top-cricket-tournament-the-ipl-for-a-week-amid-military-tensions-with-pakistan
IndiaMay 09, 2025

India suspends its top cricket tournament, the IPL, for a week amid military tensions with Pakistan

India’s biggest domestic cricket tournament was suspended for one week on Friday following the escalating military tensions with Pakistan. The Indian Premier League, which attracts top players from around the world, was halted with immediate effect, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said. The decision comes aftera night of artillery exchangesbetween Indian and Pakistani soldiers across their frontier in Kashmir, amid a growingmilitary standoffthat erupted following an attack on tourists in the India-controlled portion of the disputed region. The IPL is the most popular cricket tourna
alberta-surpasses-300-measles-cases-as-doctors-warn-of-exponential-increases
AlbertaMay 09, 2025

Alberta surpasses 300 measles cases as doctors warn of exponential increases

More than 300 people in Alberta have fallen ill from measles since March and a group of doctors are warning the virus could grow exponentially in the coming weeks. The Alberta government is reporting 16 new measles cases to bring the province's total count to 313. The rising number has prompted the association representing Alberta doctors to warn of an outbreak that could quickly reach the thousands. Dr. James Talbot, Alberta's former chief medical officer of health, says cases are likely much higher than reported and that for every 1,000 cases, one to three people will likely die.
trump-administration-steps-up-efforts-to-reduce-india-pakistan-tensions
IndiaMay 08, 2025

Trump administration steps up efforts to reduce India-Pakistan tensions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Thursday with the prime minister of Pakistan and India's foreign minister as the Trump administration stepped up efforts to prevent the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals from going to war. In separate calls with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rubio ``emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation,'' the State Department said Rubio also ``expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications,'' according to readout
ADS
Ads

Related News

ADS
Ads