Victoria – Improvements to the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program and a one-time rental benefit of $430 will bring relief for families and seniors with low incomes who are receiving a rent subsidy through the Rental Assistance Program (RAP) and SAFER program.
The one-time benefit will go to recipients of B.C.’s RAP and SAFER rent supplement programs. Current recipients automatically qualify and no action is required. Recipients will receive the one-time benefit with their regular RAP or SAFER payment in April 2024. In addition to the one-time benefit, changes are being made to the SAFER program that will allow an estimated 4,800 more seniors to qualify, and existing recipients will see an increase of approximately $110 per month, bringing the average monthly subsidy for existing clients to $310.
The changes to SAFER and the one-time benefit come at a time when the rising costs of living and the housing crisis are affecting people throughout the province, especially seniors with low or fixed incomes. The Province expanded eligibility for SAFER and RAP in 2018, increasing the monthly rental-assistance amounts for each program. Even with those changes, rent ceilings have not kept up with market rents and seniors in particular, are increasingly vulnerable.
Improvements to the SAFER program will make it available to more seniors by:
- increasing the income limit for eligibility for SAFER from $33,000 to $37,240, so more seniors will be eligible for rental assistance;
- increasing the minimum benefit from $25 to $50 a month or $600 a year;
- rent ceilings, which help determine the amount of rental assistance for applicants, can now be reviewed and amended annually; and
- launching a public awareness campaign to ensure more seniors are aware of the program.
SAFER provides seniors with low incomes financial support to help pay monthly rent. Clients in the new, higher income ranges may receive an average subsidy of $190 per month.
For more information about the Rental Assistance Program, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/rental-assistance-programs/RAP
For more information about the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters program, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/rental-assistance-programs/SAFER
