By Canadian Press

B.C. bumps up rental subsidy programs for seniors, low-income families

Apr 3, 2025 | 1:08 PM

Recipients of two British Columbia programs aimed at making rent more affordable for seniors and families in need will see a bump in their subsidies starting this month.

The province said the average family supplement under the Rental Assistance Program will go from $400 to $700 per month while qualifying seniors under the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters, or SAFER, program will receive, on average, another $145 a month for a total of $337.

The household income eligibility limit for the Rental Assistance Program is increasing to $60,000 from $40,000 while the qualifying limit for the seniors’ program is now $40,000, up from $37,240.

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon told a joint news conference with B.C. Green MLA Rob Botterell Thursday that the changes mean more people will get help during a time of high costs of living and uncertainty over the trade war with the United States.

“With the new uncertainties that come with tariffs, it is seniors and low-income families that are going to face the brunt of a lot of those tariffs and the impacts of those,” Kahlon said.

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“We’ve already been hearing from a lot of seniors who are really concerned because they have pensions and they’re seeing the stock market continue to collapse, and what does that mean for them in retirement?”

The province says the number of families eligible for the Rental Assistance Program will jump from approximately 3,200 to nearly 6,000, while about 1,600 more seniors are now eligible for SAFER.

The increase to SAFER is the latest bump to the program over the last several years but stops short of the full revamp that the province’s seniors advocate called for last year.

Advocate Dan Levitt was also at the news conference and said he’s pleased the subsidy is being increased but noted that it’s not tied to the province’s allowable rent increases, nor to inflation.

In a report last year, Levitt said the SAFER program does not address the financial pressures experienced by seniors who rent, especially when the average income of people who receive SAFER was just $20,844 in 2023.

He said at the time that previous increases “fall far short of what is needed to address the affordability crisis faced by seniors who rent.”

Levitt told reporters on Thursday that his office will be watching to see if the new enhancements keep pace with rent increases and provide meaningful relief.

“The program is designed for recipients to pay no more than 30 per cent of their income on rent, and we know this is currently not meeting this goal,” he said.

The minister acknowledged Levitt’s push for more improvements, including linking supports to inflation.

Kahlon said the latest announcement is a “considerable increase” in supports and eligibility.

“We know there’s still more challenges that need to be addressed,” he said.

The increases are funded in part with $75 million the NDP government promised in an agreement with the B.C. Green Party caucus in return for support in the legislature.

Botterell said as the affordability crisis worsens, more seniors are being forced out of their homes and into homelessness.

“More support for B.C. seniors means less hardship and more dignity for those who spent their lives building our communities,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2025

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press