*New* Canada Housing Benefit
“one-time payment for low-income renters”
The Canadian Government is offering a one-time, tax-free payment of $500 to assist low-income renters with the cost of their rent. This benefit is administered through the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency). To qualify, individuals do not need to receive any other government housing benefits, but they must meet all criteria below to be eligible for the benefit. The application deadline is Friday, March 31, 2023 (8:59 pm PST).
Eligibility:
- At least 15 years of age (as of December 1, 2022)
- Your principal residence was in Canada (as of December 1, 2022)
- You were a Canadian resident in 2022
- You have filed your 2021 income tax return statement
- if you have a spouse/common-law partner, they filed their 2021 income tax return statement
- In 2021, your net income did not exceed:
- $35,000 for families
- $20,000 for individuals
- The 2022 eligible rent that you paid was:
- Paid in the 2022 calendar year
- Paid for any of your qualifying principal residences in 2022
- Equal to at least 30% of your 2021 adjusted family net income
Additional Information:
- All applications are submitted through the CRA website or by phone (contact info listed below)
- If you qualify, you can choose to receive payment through direct deposit (setup on your CRA account) OR a mailed cheque
- This payment does not reduce other federal benefits (ex. Canada Workers Benefit, Canada Child Benefit, Guaranteed Income Supplement, etc)
- The CRA may contact you for additional documents (ex. rent receipts, letter from your landlord)
- If your application is denied, you may request a second review
Contact Information for CRA (Canada Revenue Agency)
Website: canada.ca/en/revenue-agency.html
- Hours: Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm
- Telephone Number: 1-800-282-8079 // TTY: 1-800-665-0354
- Documents Needed for Personal Identification via Phone:
- Social Insurance Number
- Full Name and Date of Birth
- Complete Address
- Assessed tax return, notice of assessment or reassessment, or be signed into your ‘CRA My Account’
** This information was provided through the CRA website**
For more detailed information on this benefit, please call the CRA office (numbers provided above) AND/OR go to their website at www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/child-and-family-benefits/top-up-canada-housing-benefit.html