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Study says rents in most cities are unaffordable for lower-income earners
OTTAWA — The federal government is facing new questions about how much its plans for a rent-supplement program for low-income households will help them afford high rents, detailed in a new study and newly obtained government documents detailing the affordability crunch.
The new portable housing benefit is to roll out next year and will be tied to a person rather than a unit — meaning recipients can carry it with them through the housing market rather than losing the financial help when they move out of government-supported dwelling.
Its design is to be tailored to each province.
A study released Thursday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative shone a critical light on the supplement as part of research that found a minimum-wage worker could afford to rent in just a few neighbourhoods in Canada.