We’re pleased to announce the release our 2020 Rent Supplement Report. The Rent Supplement Program helps qualified households by funding the difference between the occupancy charge and their geared-to-income charge.
The report details the funds co-ops received in Ontario and PEI, where the Agency administers the Rent Supplement Program on behalf of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Our report gives you a clearer picture of the co-op households who are using this assistance.
A high-level look at assisted households
In 2020, 128 federally administered rent-supplement co-ops in Ontario and PEI received a total of $25,406,000.
Overall, co-ops didn’t use all the rent supplements available to them under the program. This may have happened because the incomes of assisted households rose, reducing the amount of support they needed. It could also be due to some assisted households moving out of their co-op.
In 2020, the maximum rent supplement used, on average, was 86 per cent, which is down slightly from 89 per cent in 2018.
Single-person households facing greatest challenge
Households with one adult only (single-parent and single-person households) make up 82 per cent of the units receiving a rent supplement, illustrating the housing challenges often faced by single-income households.
Regionally, the Golden-Horseshoe Region – West (which includes the cities of Guelph, Hamilton and Kitchener) had the highest percentage of co-ops receiving an average rent supplement of $750 or more.
Want to learn more about the Rent Supplement Program? Read the full report and review the program’s objectives and requirements.