VANCOUVER Resident and Need Help with Rent ?
With the high costs of living in Vancouver, it's nice to see programs out there to help working families, such as BC Housing's new rental assistance program. It provides direct cash assistance to eligible low-income working families with children under age of 19, who have been residents of British Columbia for a year and whose annual income, or a part of it, comes from employment.
Housing assistance is paid directly to eligible families in meeting monthly rent payments in the private market.
Wonder if you're eligible? You may be eligible if:
•You have at least one or more dependent child under the age of 19.
•You have an annual income below $20,000 (If your child under age 18 has a part-time job, his or her income is not included.).
•Some or all of your annual income comes from employment.
•You have less than $10,000 in assets.
•You file an annual income tax return.
•You pay more then 30 per cent of your household income toward rent for your home.
•You have lived in British Columbia for the full 12 months immediately preceding the date of application. This requirement applies only to adults.
•You meet the citizenship requirements for the program. All members of the household must be Canadian citizens, landed immigrants, convention refugees or refugee claimants.
You are not eligible if:
•You receive income assistance.
•You are on a resettlement assistance program (RAP).
•You or any member of your family has lived in B.C. for less than 12 months.
•You are under a private sponsorship agreement and the sponsorship agreement is in force.
•You live in a subsidized or coop housing.
•You have a house in which you do not reside.
You can get an application from any BC Housing office, download an application from www.bchousing.org/programs/RAP or call 604-433-2218 or toll free at 1-800-257-7756 to have an application mailed to you. (The website also has information about the program in Chinese, Punjabi and Spanish.)
With your application, you need to provide:
•Proof of identity for all family members.
•Proof of citizenship or immigration status for all family members.
•A social insurance number for all adult family members.
•Proof of rent (tenancy agreement, notice of rent increase, rent receipt or written declaration from landlord confirming rental amount).
•Income tax information for the previous year (copy of Notice of Assessment and detailed tax return). Filing an income tax return for both you and your spouse is a requirement of the program. If you did not file a tax return, you will not be eligible.
•A blank cheque marked “Void” for direct deposit of subsidy.
Incomplete applications will be held for 90 days to give you time to gather any missing documentation. After this time, you will have to reapply.
With the high costs of living in Vancouver, it's nice to see programs out there to help working families, such as BC Housing's new rental assistance program. It provides direct cash assistance to eligible low-income working families with children under age of 19, who have been residents of British Columbia for a year and whose annual income, or a part of it, comes from employment.
Housing assistance is paid directly to eligible families in meeting monthly rent payments in the private market.
Wonder if you're eligible? You may be eligible if:
•You have at least one or more dependent child under the age of 19.
•You have an annual income below $20,000 (If your child under age 18 has a part-time job, his or her income is not included.).
•Some or all of your annual income comes from employment.
•You have less than $10,000 in assets.
•You file an annual income tax return.
•You pay more then 30 per cent of your household income toward rent for your home.
•You have lived in British Columbia for the full 12 months immediately preceding the date of application. This requirement applies only to adults.
•You meet the citizenship requirements for the program. All members of the household must be Canadian citizens, landed immigrants, convention refugees or refugee claimants.
You are not eligible if:
•You receive income assistance.
•You are on a resettlement assistance program (RAP).
•You or any member of your family has lived in B.C. for less than 12 months.
•You are under a private sponsorship agreement and the sponsorship agreement is in force.
•You live in a subsidized or coop housing.
•You have a house in which you do not reside.
You can get an application from any BC Housing office, download an application from www.bchousing.org/programs/RAP or call 604-433-2218 or toll free at 1-800-257-7756 to have an application mailed to you. (The website also has information about the program in Chinese, Punjabi and Spanish.)
With your application, you need to provide:
•Proof of identity for all family members.
•Proof of citizenship or immigration status for all family members.
•A social insurance number for all adult family members.
•Proof of rent (tenancy agreement, notice of rent increase, rent receipt or written declaration from landlord confirming rental amount).
•Income tax information for the previous year (copy of Notice of Assessment and detailed tax return). Filing an income tax return for both you and your spouse is a requirement of the program. If you did not file a tax return, you will not be eligible.
•A blank cheque marked “Void” for direct deposit of subsidy.
Incomplete applications will be held for 90 days to give you time to gather any missing documentation. After this time, you will have to reapply.