Cost estimate of the one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit program

Part 2 of Bill C-31 will enact the Rental Housing Benefit Act. The Act proposes the creation of a one-time $500 benefit for low-income Canadian renters.

If adopted, individuals who paid at least 30 per cent of their income on rent in 2022 with incomes below $20,000, or $35,000 for families, will be eligible to apply for a one-time, tax-free $500 Rental Housing Benefit. Only one eligible cohabiting spouse or common-law partner may receive the benefit. Rent paid to relatives is not eligible. This measure will increase federal spending by $940 million in 2022-23, with an estimated 1.7 million recipients.

The PBO estimates the $500 housing benefit proposed in Budget 2022 would cost approximately $940 million.