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Rent assistance

Last updated on December 8, 2022

The provincial government provides rental assistance for low-income working families with children and low-income seniors.

Rent supplements are part of a broader affordable housing strategy.

Rental assistance is a cost-effective, flexible and direct cash subsidy aimed at keeping low-income working families with children and low-income seniors renting in the private market. This approach has a number of advantages:

  • Recipients can choose where they live and take the subsidy with them if they move, for example, to be near better employment opportunities, or family and friends.
  • Only the recipient needs to know about the supplement.
  • It does not require the availability of a dedicated unit in public housing thus making more affordable units available quickly.
  • It is responsive to the immediate housing needs of recipient families and seniors, and is easily changed according to future need.

The Rental Assistance Program  (RAP) is currently helping 9,575 (as of Dec 31, 2017) working families with children with rental assistance in the private market.

The Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program is providing 22,503 (as of Dec 31, 2017) low-income British Columbians, age 60 and over, who rent in the private market with direct cash assistance.

For information on rental assistance please click here.

The content on this website is periodically reviewed and updated by the Province of British Columbia as per the date noted on each page: February 20, 2018.

The Province's rental housing (residential tenancies) website has information, forms and resources for tenants and landlords.

TRAC (the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre) also offers information for tenants on renting in BC.

BC Housing is a Crown Corporation that supports social housing, affordable housing, emergency shelters and out reach for homeless people and regulates residential construction. It also administers rent supplements. BC Housing reports to the Minister of Housing.